


White Wyvern

by NeonCandies



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Corruption, Dragons, I don't know what else to tag, M/M, Male Homosexuality, NeonCandies Writes, War, corrupt government
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-13 02:15:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7134536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonCandies/pseuds/NeonCandies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfred, a kid from the country, has come to the Capital in order to become a Knight. Yet just as he's starting his training, a string of Dragon attacks have begun that could be the start of a war. Alfred must find out why the attacks have started happening and figure out a way to stop them or else this could mean the end of the Capital and all those who defend it. ((UsPru))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I'm not exactly transferring my Fanfics over to here from Fanfiction.net, just that I felt like posting this one here. I've got a few chapters already out, but I'll post one today and post the rest tomorrow. So enjoy for now :T Tell me how you like it. Reviews give me life and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!

The sun filtered through the trees, the forest echoing with the sound of birds singing and cicada's chittering. A man of high stature walked alone down the path scattered with leaves. He wore a dark brown tunic with pants stuffed into knee high boots, a grey cloak draped across his shoulders. Leather gauntlets ran up his arms, the garments cut off at the knuckles. On his back was a broad sword, intricate designs etched into the handle. Slung over one shoulder was a bag containing a map, food, and other little necessities.

His hair was a wheat blond, catching the sun's rays and seeming to give off their own shine. His eyes rivalled the sky, a radiant blue that held a naïve justice. The man stood with a strong posture, his back straight and his shoulders square. He kept his gaze forward, walking through the forest with his sword being his only companion.

Alfred Jones was a Country brat that grew up on cursed land deep in the south. His village had once been a thriving place where the air was always warm and the ground fertile. Yet after the Great War 60 years ago, the land had become cursed. Now it snowed, nothing grew, and the surrounding area was harsh and unforgiving.

The Great War was fought between Man and Beast, or to be more specific, Dragon. Humans had been horrified at the violence the Dragons suddenly sprung; after all, Man and Dragon used to be friends. Then suddenly Dragons began attacking humans and killing without hesitation. The Capital then declared war on the Dragon species and the army set out to exterminate them. It was a bloody battle that had many losses on both sides. Eventually it ended in a draw and the Dragons moved into land they claimed for themselves. So long as Men kept to the borders and did not wonder inside, Dragons let them be.

Alfred's village was one of the places that housed the wounded soldiers fighting the Dragon army in the south. Apparently the army had found a nest of Dragon young. Without question, they slaughtered each and every hatchling. When the mother had returned to the nest and saw the carnage, she had attacked the army. With her dying breath she cursed the land that housed the soldiers; it has been an eternal winter since.

That was why Alfred, only 19 years of age, decided to go to the Capital. Despite it being 60 years after the war, the people of his village had done what they could to survive. But recently a wave of demons had been slinking into the village territory, killing those unable to protect themselves. The demons were drawn to the cursed land, but never before had the numbers been so great.

After nearly losing his brother to a demon attack, Alfred decided it was time to step up. He had trained himself with the sword and decided to head to the Capital to get help. It was a known fact that the Capital guards got special privileges. They were also given a good amount of coin for their service.

Yet Alfred wasn't aiming for the mere rank of Soldier, the lowest and easiest rank to attain. No, he was aiming to become a Knight. The highest rank a Capital guard could attain. They were the strongest, most powerful, and most respected in the Capital. They protected the King and commanded their own platoons. Yet it wasn't easy to become a Knight, but the rewards were worth it.

If Alfred could become a Knight, then he could afford to buy things for the Village. Repairs, medicine, and most of all, protection. It was either that or a Wizard to lift the curse from the land. It was a big curse, so no doubt it'd cost a lot of money. But Alfred was prepared to do whatever it took to become a Knight.

As Alfred continued down the path, his shoulders eventually slumped and he let out a small groan. "I've been walking for hours! When am I gonna reach the Capital?"

He had been travelling for almost a week and he had yet to reach the Capital. It might've been faster on horse, but Alfred's village didn't have horses and he couldn't exactly afford one. So he had no choice but to walk on foot. He wasn't complaining, seeing as how he was used to walking long distances, but he had expected to arrive in the Capital sooner. It looked closer on the map.

Before Alfred could continue his brooding, he heard something carry on the wind. It was faint yet unmistakable. He paused in his walking, straining his ears in order to see if he could hear the sound again. There it was! It was a cry for help. Though it sounded similar to a yowl.

Alfred wasted no time in pondering this. He sprinted towards the sound, pulling out his sword and gripping the handle tightly. When he could hear the cries for help more clearly, Alfred noticed it diverged off the path. Not even taking a moment to hesitate, he leapt from the path and deeper into the adjacent woods. Alfred slowed his steps and breathing when he got closer to a clearing.

Hiding behind a few trees, Alfred peeked around and looked at what was crying out for help. From what he could see, there were two Wolfins circling a wide Oak tree.

Wolfins were a type of demon that populated most of the land. They were bigger than a normal wolf, their spines arching in a sharp point before curving down to a stumpy tail. Their bottom jaws were bigger than the top, creating a huge overbite with their many pointy teeth. Around their neck was a thick patching of fur, almost similar to a lions mane. The bigger the mane, the more likely it was the leader of the pack.

Alfred frowned, looking up the tree at what the two Wolfins were circling. On one of the low hanging branches, the blue-eyed male could spot a white, fluffy lump. It was clinging to the branch for dear life and shaking badly. It parted its small jaws again and let out a very coherent yell for help.

Interesting, Alfred thought to himself. Never seen a cat that can talk. Could it be a demon?

Shaking his head, Alfred cast those thoughts aside. There was no time to be thinking about such stupid things. He had to save the thing! After all, Alfred was getting ready to become a Knight! Protecting the innocent was the duty of a Knight, and what better time to start then now?

Thinking smartly, Alfred picked up a rock and prepared to toss it. He threw it and it sailed past the Wolfins and hit a tree behind them, catching their attention. The Wolfins paused in their circling and turned to look at the sound. They growled, stalking towards the tree that the rock had it. Using this as his chance, Alfred sprinted from where he was hidden and charged after one of the Wolfins. It turned right before Alfred plunged his sword into its ribs, instantly killing it.

The Wolfin fell dead while the other one rounded on Alfred and snarled, drool dribbling from its bottom jaw. Sprinting at Alfred, the Wolfin snapped its jaws at the man. Alfred dodged, slicing down the side of the demon. It yelped before it too dropped down dead.

Alfred grinned, nodding his head in satisfaction. Wolfins were a type of lesser demon, ones Alfred had defeated over and over again. He took pride in his swordsmanship for a reason! Alfred had dealt with all kinds of demons, so handling two measly Wolfins were child's play.

Putting his sword away and glancing up at the tree, Alfred walked under it and looked up at the cat.

"You ok?"

The cat looked surprised at Alfred's appearance, but its fur was slowly lying flat. From here Alfred could see it was a beautiful white cat with a small pink nose and bright crimson eyes. They were mesmerizing to look at, stealing all of Alfred's attention.

"Y-yeah, thanks." The cat mumbled, its ears angling forward.

"What are you doing out here in the forest? It's dangerous." Alfred commented, frowning slightly.

The cat narrowed its eyes slightly, huffing. "I know it's dangerous! Usually I'd have someone doing this for me, but no one stopped by my shop today so I had to get the materials myself!"

Alfred tilted his head to the side curiously. "Materials?"

Flicking its white furry head behind Alfred, the blond glanced over his shoulder. At the edge of the clearing was an overturned basket near a circle of mushrooms. Inside the basket was what looked like a large amount of red flowers with yellow designs on the inside along with green leaves with a slight silver shine to them.

"I'm an Apothecary and a potions expert. I usually send Adventurers or Soldiers to get me my materials in exchange for potions, but no one came in today and I needed to get these Lilas and Silver Tongue before sunset. I have an important potion to make with a deadline!" It explained from its perch in the tree.

"A cat Apothecary?" Alfred asked, slightly sceptical.

The cat rolled its eyes, "I'm not a cat, stupid! I was just turned into a cat. See that circle of mushrooms? It's called a Fairy circle, do you know what that is?"

Alfred snorted, "Of course I know, I'm not stupid. Step in a Fairy circle and Fairies will either kidnap you or put a curse on you."

A string of laughter from the cat caused Alfred to glare at it. "Sure, that's what children are told, but it's really just where Fairies lay their traps for pranks. I was being chased by the Wolfins and didn't see it, hence why the trap sprung on me. I'm actually not a cat." It said with mirth dancing in its ruby eyes.

"And I take it you know how to change back?"

The cat nodded, pointing a paw at Alfred. "Yes, but I need to be taken to my shop in order to change back. It's in the Capital's Middle District."

"Ah! That's where I'm headed anyways! To the Capital I mean." Alfred exclaimed, grinning widely at the cat. "I might as well take you since it's on my way! Plus, you can help me navigate since you're a local."

Alfred held out his hands towards the cat, evidently requesting for it to jump into his arms. The cat hesitated for a second before it jumped off the branch and into Alfred's arm. He caught it easily, the cat squeaking softly. Then, once firmly in Alfred's grasp, slid from his arms and onto his shoulder, sitting there easily. The cat purred, hitting the side of Alfred's face with its tail.

"Don't forget my basket. The Fairy Circle won't activate since I already sprung the trap. It's useless until the fairies reset it." The cat informed as Alfred moved over to the upturned basket, carefully placing the materials back in it before walking back towards the path.

As they continued walking, Alfred was reminded that he still didn't know if they were close to the Capital or not. He assumed they were, seeing as how the cat probably wouldn't have travelled far without an escort if the woods were that dangerous.

"So you're from the Middle District? Is the Capital broken up into parts?"

The cat snorted, "You're probably not from around here, are you?"

Alfred shook his head, "Nope. I'm from the cursed lands of the south."

The cat's ears pricked and it stiffened slightly, the action not going unnoticed by Alfred. Still, he didn't comment on it as the cat started speaking. "Ah... That land does have a very powerful curse on it. There's nothing stronger than a grieving mother's curse."

"Er…" Alfred mumbled, feeling a bit awkward. "About the capital…?"

As if sensing Alfred's unwillingness to talk about the cursed land, the cat easily changed the subject. "Anyways, yeah, the Capital is made up of three different districts. There's the Outer District where the market is located. You can get things from all across the world there. It's also where the Black Market is and where you can get the best information. But you need to know who to ask and you need the coin for it.

"Middle District is where shops and wears are located. Adventurers and citizens get their things made there. From furniture to armour, it's all there. My shop is the only Apothecary and Potion shop, so sales are always nice." The cat purred happily.

"As for the Center District, that's where all those happy rich fat rats sit and idle, same with the castle and their wide selection of puppets." The cat snorted, its voice turning bitter. "There the King lives along with his Soldiers and Knights. The rich stay in the walls and rarely venture out, usually sending a Soldier or servant to get what they need."

Alfred, taking note of the tone, forced himself not to get annoyed at how the cat seemed to be talking down about the Capital's Center District and its occupants.

"Sounds like you don't like them." He mumbled, keeping his voice even.

The cat snorted, "I've got my own reasons to hate everyone in the Center District. Don't get me wrong, there might be one or two good people, but the rest would sooner sell their own kin just for status."

Alfred hummed, not agreeing yet not disagreeing with the statement. He couldn't exactly say if he believed the accusation or not, seeing as how he'd never met anyone from the Capital. But surely the King was one of those good people the albino cat was talking about. After all, the King's job was to care for the people, there was no way he was a tyrant.

Glancing up, Alfred was able to see the tall wall of the Outer District. The Outer ring towered high, higher than the treeline. Alfred, as the trees started to thin out, was able to see it through the gaps in the branches. When they reached the forest's edge, Alfred could hear the sounds coming from the massive gates. A few soldiers were stationed before the gate and on the outer wall, but didn't seem too threatening.

Actually, when walking past them, they merely glanced at Alfred before looking forward again. Alfred felt a sudden thrill of excitement run up his spine when it finally settled in that he was here, he was about to become a Soldier for the Capital!

"So, where to?" Alfred asked eagerly.

The cat pointed forward with its paw. "Just keep going. There's another wall that leads towards the Middle District. You've gotta pass through it before I can give you directions to my shop."

But before they could take a step further, a delicate looking woman stopped Alfred. She had dark brown hair tied into twin pigtails that hung over her shoulders, red ribbons acting as the hair tie. She wore a simple blue dress with a white flower print decorating the ends. Her skin was a light cinnamon, speaking of days being out in the sun and absorbing its rays.

"Excuse me, that cat on your shoulder." She started, a determined look in her eyes.

The cat didn't look at all surprised and merely grinned at the girl while Alfred looked a bit confused and nervous to be called out. But before he could say that the cat wasn't his and was actually a person, the girl grinned in triumph and pointed at the cat.

"Gilbert! It's you, isn't it?"

Purring, the cat flicked its tail happily. "Yep, it's me!"

She gasped, her shock instead switching to a highly amused smirk. "What happened to you? Why are you a cat?"

The cat, Gilbert, finally stopped purring and grimaced. "Fairy Circle." Was all he said, but that was enough for the girl to double over laughing.

"How funny! The expert on all things magic got caught in a Fairy prank!" She giggled and Gilbert adopted an annoyed expression.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Now, do you have a reason for stopping us? I'd really like to change back now. I think I'm getting fleas." He grumbled, ears drooping.

The girl's smile fell into a serious look, all amusement gone from her eyes. "Actually, yes. It's about… The situation." She mumbled.

At this, Gilbert stiffened and he glanced around before looking back at the girl. "Tell everyone to meet at the shop the same time as last week. I'll explain the rest there."

With a nod, the girl waved before running off, disappearing past the crowd and into an alley. Alfred, curious at the exchange, glanced at Gilbert from the corner of his eye.

"What was that about?"

Gilbert sent him a small glare, pushing at his cheek with a fuzzy paw. "None of your business. Now keep walking."

Alfred grunted at the action but didn't ask again, instead opting to walk further into the Capital.

All around Alfred was life, people laughing, playing, talking, and or buying things. In every corner there was something lively going on. Some people waved at Alfred, others just gave him smiles. All in all, Alfred could say he was glad he made the decision to come to the Capital. It looked so welcoming!

When they reached the Middle District, Alfred noticed the way the Building structure changed. There were far more shops here and people mulling about, bags in their hands as they did their shopping. Gilbert gave Alfred directions, turning him this way and that and through the winding paths of the Capital.

"My shop is just in front of the large fountain up there." Gilbert instructed, pointing with his paw.

Alfred looked up and he could see the fountain Gilbert was speaking of. Children were playing around it, some reaching in to splash their friends. Others sat on the edge of the circular fountain.

In the center of the stone creation was a mermaid carved out of the grey rock. She had her arms raised above her head, her stone body curving as if she was dancing under water. Her hair was carved in a way that gave the impression it was following a non-existent tide. She was perched on the heads of four dolphins, water streaming from their open stone mouths, each facing a different direction. Their sprays went back into the fountain, a soft mist hanging around it, catching the sun's light and making the air glitter like diamonds.

Alfred admired the fountain as he walked around it, looking up the cobblestone road and towards a shop set further back from the fountain, just like all the other surrounding shops were.

Alfred glanced around, noticing that there was an abundant amount of trees growing over some of the other two story shops and houses, providing shade and a gentle noise when the wind blew through them. On some of the walls, green vines grew up in complex designs, giving off a tranquil feeling.

Turning his eyes back to the shop, Alfred gazed at its cosy exterior. It had two large rose bushes lining the front of it, stopping at the edge of the house on either side. The house had a brown door with beautiful carvings etched into it, a small window at the top of the door with stained glass imbedded into it. On the glass was a Dragon, its body twisted around itself and appearing to be sleeping soundly.

The roof of the shop was a brownish red, going nicely with the outer walls. The walls were a creamy white and the shop was a good two stories. On the left side of the shop, there was a large bay window that showed some of the inside of the shop. From what Alfred could see, there was a wide lounge area and in the far back he could make out what appeared to be a counter.

As he stopped in front of the shop's door, Alfred glanced up at the sign hanging up near the top corner of the door. It was a sign shaped like a Wyvern, this one also sleeping. Below the sleeping beast was the curly words reading "Wyvern Wares".

Alfred raised a brow in mild interest. "Dragon themed much?"

"Nature's first healers and dealers of magic." Gilbert commented as Alfred pushed open the door.

"Despite the war and destruction they caused?"

Gilbert once again stiffened and he hissed slightly. "Sometimes the story one is told isn't always an honest one."

But before Alfred could ask what he meant, Gilbert had leapt off his shoulders and jumped over the counter. Shrugging, Alfred took this moment to look around the shop.

Near the bay window was indeed a lounge area. A comfortable rug was lying atop the hard wood floor. On the rug was a low coffee table, a few plush chairs scattered around it. On the other side of the shop was a large bookshelf that held a wide selection of potions. They were separated into groups, their prices hanging below them on little tags.

Next to the bookshelf was a long table that had an assortment of oils, bath salts, and lotion. They had been grouped based off their scents and uses. Just like the potions, below each group was a price.

In the back of the shop, Alfred took note of the wooden counter that branched off from wall to wall. The only way to get behind it was to push in a little small door at the corner. Behind the counter was a large plaque that had a list of some potions and their prices. Next to it on the left side was a door that had a very complex looking lock on it. The lock was in the shape of a Wyvern, the design not at all surprising Alfred. It was wrapped around the door handle and a peg in the wall, its brass body unmoving and its glare menacing. The Wyvern had its jaws parted, almost as if it had been frozen in the midst of a roar. Alfred took note that it didn't appear to have a keyhole anywhere on its body. Maybe it was a custom made lock that opened up differently.

On the right side was another door, this one not at all locked and probably leading to the back room. It probably led to the storage room or the stairs that led to the second story of the shop.

Alfred's attention was drawn back to the desk as Gilbert jumped on it, a small leather baggy in his mouth. He set it down on the counter, pawing at it.

"Hey, traveller, open this for me."

Rolling his eyes, Alfred walked over and, after setting the basket he had been carrying on the counter, opened the small pouch. Gilbert then instructed him to take out two of the seeds in there. When he did, Gilbert lapped them up quickly before jumping from the counter and standing in the middle of the shop. Then, after a few seconds of waiting, there was a soft hissing sound before the room was enveloped in smoke.

Alfred coughed violently, waving his hand around and trying to disperse the white smoke. After a few seconds, the hazy air cleared on its own and where the cat used to be now stood the most gorgeous man Alfred had ever seen.

The man before him had pale skin and still carried those ruby eyes that held such a mystery about them. His hair reminded Alfred of the snow that fell in the south and the gentle pureness that came with it.

His clothes where interesting, to say the least. He had a cedar brown cloak with golden designs stitched into it, the cape wrapping around his shoulders rather than going over them. It clipped in the front with a beautiful gem pendant that worked well with the cape's colours. Underneath was a high collared white shirt with sleeves that reached down to his wrists. Around the collar was a red ribbon tied in a neat little bow, the ends settling over the cape a bit. He wore dark brown pants stuffed into knee high boots, the laces tied tight.

The man let out a happy sigh and tilted his head to the side. Only then did Alfred notice that he was wearing red tear drop earrings in each ear, the gems glittering when the sun hit it just right.

Gilbert's petal pink lips curved into an alluring smirk and he chuckled at Alfred. "Thanks for helping me. Now for proper introductions. My name is Gilbert Beilschmidt, Apothecary and potions expert." He hummed, holding out his hand to Alfred.

Alfred grinned, taking Gilbert's hand and shaking it. "Alfred Jones, nice to meet you."

Gilbert hummed, walking behind the counter as Alfred moved up to stand in front of it. "Now, as a thank you gift for helping me, I'll give you a 50% off on your first five purchases, no matter the cost!"

Alfred's smile faltered and his shoulders slumped. "Wait, seriously? I save your life and you only cut off 50%?"

Gilbert chuckled, leaning against the wall and tapping the plaque of potions. "Did you even look at this? There are some prices on here that could use a good cut. Like the extremely hard potions to make. It's a very good deal, trust me!"

Groaning, Alfred ran a hand through his hair and sighed loudly. "Then can you at least give me directions into the Center District of the Capital?"

This got Gilbert's attention, the albino looking surprised. He raised a brow, frowning slightly. "Why do you want to go there?"

"Weeeell," Alfred sang, his smile returning as he bounced excitedly. "I'm here in the Capital to become a Knight!"

Alfred had not expected that look of mild disgust that flashed over Gilbert's face. Yet it was gone a quick second later and replaced with a small smile.

"I wouldn't say that's the best idea… But I'm sure you'll figure out the reason why. You're a smart kid." Gilbert sighed, scratching his head. "Well for starters, the Center District isn't like the Middle and Outer District. The only way to get in is by recommendation, which is what keeps peasants and other unwanted people out."

The albino ducked under the counter and Alfred could hear him rummaging around for something.

"Then how am I supposed to get in?" Alfred asked, frowning.

Gilbert appeared a moment later, paper and quill pen in hand. He scribbled on the paper, eventually setting the feather pen down before holding the piece of parchment out to Alfred.

"By recommendation of course. I happen to be a valuable seller to the Capital. My bath salts, oils, and potions are a favourite in the Center District. So you'll be able to get in with my recommendation, but I can't promise it'll do anything but get you past the gate. The rest is up to you." Gilbert informed as Alfred took the paper, reading over the writing. The neat words printed on the paper said: "Let the kid through, he's got business in the Center District. Refuse and I'll hear about it. –Gilbert"

"Are they going to let me in because they're afraid of you?" Alfred looked between Gilbert and the note.

Smirking mischievously at Alfred, Gilbert shrugged. "Let's just say that I have a nasty streak of holding grudges. It's a horrible idea to get on the bad side of the only Apothecary inside the Capital. For all they know, they could ask for a potion that boosts stamina and I could give them something that makes their thing drop off."

Alfred grimaced, resisting the urge to cover his private parts. "I'll keep that in mind."

Gilbert chuckled, leaning on the counter. After giving a quick description on the directions Alfred was supposed to take, Gilbert eventually bid him goodbye. "Well good luck Alfred, it isn't easy being a Knight." The albino's brows creased slightly and his smile looked a little strained. "Just be careful, the Capital is far more dangerous than it seems."

The ominous tone in Gilbert's voice told Alfred that this man knew more than he was letting on. Yet Alfred said nothing, instead he played dumb, acting as if he didn't even notice the tone change. He grinned widely, walking towards the door.

"I'll keep that in mind. See ya Gilbert!"

"Make sure to stop by every now and again and tell me what it's like being a Knight!" Gilbert called after the other.

"I will!" And with that Alfred was gone, leaving behind Gilbert.

The albino's smile gave way to a frown and after a while of staring at the door, he sighed. "What a shame, he seemed like a good kid too…" He mumbled softly.

\--

When Alfred had reached the Center District, he was quickly passed through the moment the guard read the note. It seemed like Gilbert really did have a reputation. Before going through the gate, he had asked the Guard where he could sign up to become a Knight. After another set of directions, Alfred was walking towards the direct center of the Capital, the castle. There he'd follow the guard's directions towards the barracks the guards lived in. He then had to talk to the head Knight and get him to agree on letting Alfred try out to be a Soldier.

It took a while, but Alfred eventually made it to the guard barracks. There were trainees sparring in the large court yard and other guards in uniform. Based off the knowledge Alfred already knew, Soldiers had blue uniforms while Knights had white uniforms. They were pretty much identical, the only difference being the colours and that Knight uniforms came with a hat.

As he passed the guards, Alfred could feel their eyes following him. Some people snickered, others merely paid him no mind. Alfred was beginning to feel a little nervous and lost, biting the inside of his cheek. He refused to let the surrounding Soldiers and Knights know that he was completely and utterly lost. Yet Alfred's calm façade was slowly slipping as he stopped in front of a hall leading further into the barracks and away from the courtyard. How on earth was he supposed to know where the head Knight was?

However, Alfred didn't have to ponder this long, for two Knights stopped in front of Alfred. They were dressed in the standard uniform. A white coat with golden buttons down the front. On the shoulder was a golden rope wrapping underneath the arm, connecting on the other side of the shoulder strap. Their pants were the same pristine white colour, the pants being stuffed into knee-high black boots.

The man on the left had on the standard white 8 point hat. It had a black rim and the insignia of the castle on the front. It was the image of a lion bearing its fangs in a roar. The other man did not have the hat, instead letting his hair be free. The one thing Alfred noticed right away was that the man with the hat had a red tear drop earring in his left ear while the man without the hat had an exact replica in his right ear. Alfred's mind drifted to Gilbert and how the albino also had the same kind of earrings.

"You look a little lost, my friend." The man with the hat said, smiling warmly.

He had tanned skin and gentle green eyes. Chocolate wavy locks peeked out underneath the hat, working well with the man's appearance. He seemed rather friendly, giving off a warm, approachable air.

The other man had light blond hair that went past his shoulders slightly, the golden locks tied up in a loose ponytail. A few strands slipped from the ponytail, framing the man's face in an elegant manner. His eyes were a cobalt blue, not as gentle as the other Knight's, but still kind looking.

Alfred blinked, scratching the back of his head and forcing a smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is to me," The brown haired male chuckled. "I had the same look on my face when coming to the Capital for the first time. What's your name?"

"Alfred Jones."

"Nice to meet you." The blond spoke, smiling. "My name is Francis Bonnefoy, this is Antonio Carriedo."

Antonio's smile, if possible, got even wider. "So what brings you here?"

Alfred took a deep breath, feeling the excitement pounding throughout his system. Too late to back out now, this was it.

"I'm here to become a Knight."

Antonio and Francis shared a small look of surprise. Francis hummed, his brows creasing slightly. Tilting his head, he held out his hand.

"May I see your recommendation letter?"

Alfred hesitated before handing over the piece of paper. Francis read it over, the blond tilting it slightly so his companion could read it. Antonio frowned, brows creasing slightly before he looked up at Francis.

"Gilbert signed off on this? But he's never done that before."

"Hush, Toni. Why Gilbert signed off on this is not important. If you want, you can ask him later." The blue-eyed Knight spoke softly before handing the paper back to Alfred. He smiled, flicking his head to one of the halls leading out of the courtyard. "Follow me, I'll take you to Garret. He's the head Knight in the Capital. If you want any chance at becoming a Knight, stay on his good side."

Alfred nodded, falling in step behind the two Knights as they led him towards the head Knight's office. As they walked, Alfred pondered what they said about Gilbert never signing a recommendation before. He wondered why the albino hadn't done it before. He seemed so willing to give Alfred the recommendation. Though, that could've been because Alfred had saved his life. Still, why would Gilbert go out of his way to do something he usually never did?

Shrugging, Alfred tucked that information away, intending to think about it on a later date. Instead he continued following Antonio and Francis, missing the worried glance Antonio cast towards the other Knight. They held each other's gazes for a split second longer before facing forward, the two keeping the silence as they continued down the path.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well here it is, as promised. :U Nothing really to say since this has already been posted looong before? So yeah, enjoy.

When Alfred had made it to the Capital, he knew better than to think he'd join the Castle guards and jump rank right then and there. Despite what many would think, Alfred wasn't stupid. He just let people get that impression from him. If they thought he wasn't a threat, they'd lower their guard faster.

Alfred was, in fact, a very good strategist. He could plan really well when it came to battle and moved efficiently. Though sometimes he relied more on his strength than his brains. But that was when he was desperate and his emotions ran high. Any other time, Alfred thought things through before taking action.

So that was why he didn't expect it to be easy to join the guards. But after talking with the head Knight and explaining why he was there, the head Knight gladly made him into a Soldier. The head Knight was a roundish man with a thick gut and a pearly white beard. He talked as if he had been in countless battles and Alfred didn't doubt it for a minute.

The way the man carried himself and the way he acted practically radiated experience. The man was missing an eye that he covered with a patch, and Alfred had learned that he had lost the eye to a dragon hatchling while he had been on an expedition.

He had been quite eager to have Alfred join and had even assigned him into a platoon. Alfred was placed in Francis' platoon, much to Alfred's relief. At least it was someone he knew. Well… Sort of.

Francis trained his men well, being stricter than most when it came to discipline. He worked with Alfred for a bit, correcting his form and teaching him new moves. He was quite pleased to know Alfred had at least some skill. Francis then gave Alfred a sparring partner, a man named Phillip.

Unlike the other platoons, Francis had his divided into sub groups of two. Where one Soldier went, the other was required to follow in order to have their back. With the addition of Alfred, Phillip finally had a platoon partner for such a thing. Alfred and the young Phillip quickly became close friends, both having warm personalities.

Phillip was shorter than Alfred and had thick wavy brown hair that framed his face still laden with baby fat. He had freckles dotting all over his nose and cheeks, standing out against his fair skin. Phillip's eyes were as dark as his hair, the twin orbs radiating kindness and warmth.

Guards of the Capital were similar to a wondering Adventurer in the sense that they completed tasks requested of them by people. What would happen was that someone would send a letter to the Castle, which would then be transferred to the guards and the head Knight would send someone to complete the task.

Soldiers were only sent on the tasks that didn't require extreme power. Knights were sent on the harder tasks. However, sometimes entire platoons were sent out for certain tasks. The more extreme the task, the higher the pay.

Yet even if the pay was high, the amount a guard got paid was only about half of the reward. The rest went to the Capital, almost like a tax.

Currently Alfred and Phillip were doing a very mundane task that annoyed Alfred. They were in charge of finding a rich woman's cat. However, it wasn't just any cat, it was a stupid cat demon. A twin-tailed cat that just so happened to be good at evading capture.

Alfred and Phillip had searched high and low for the thing and still they couldn't find it!

"This is getting us nowhere." Phillip sighed, scratching his head and frowning in thought. "We need to try a different tactic."

Alfred dropped from the tree he had climbed in the Center District, frowning. "Well what else can we try? We've searched almost the entire Center District! If the cat is outside in the other Districts, that's it! Game over!"

Phillip nodded, "I know. And we'll get in trouble for sure if we don't get this task done. But how else are we going to find a cat in this entire place? We don't know anything about finding cats, let alone demon cats!"

Crossing his arms over his chest in thought, Alfred furrowed his brows. "… Actually… There might be someone who knows a thing or two about demon cats."

And with a certain albino in mind, he and Phillip went to Gilbert's shop as fast as they could. Gilbert was currently talking to two Adventurers, the males obviously flirting with the white haired shop owner. Gilbert would pass a flirt back every now and again as he got the requested materials from the shelves built under the counter.

When the little bell above the door jingled, his attention was pulled from the two males and towards Alfred and Phillip. A warm smile graced his features as the two walked up to the counter.

"Alfred, nice to see you again. I haven't seen you since your first day here. Though guessing from the uniform, I take it you were able to become a Soldier?"

Alfred grinned brightly, puffing out his chest in pride and fixing his uniform coat slightly. "Yep! I'm now a part of the royal guards! It's only a matter of time till I become a Knight!"

Gilbert chuckled behind a hand, smiling sweetly. "I don't doubt it. So, what can I do for you?"

While Gilbert finished tallying up the cost of the potions the other two Adventurers bought, Alfred began speaking.

"We need information on how to catch a cat demon. See, me and Phillip here," Alfred spoke, pulling Phillip closer to the counter. "Are in charge of finding this lady's cat. It's a twin-tailed and very good at escaping. We've been searching since sunrise and we still haven't found it. I figured you'd know how, being a magic expert and all."

Gilbert hummed, leaning his elbow on the counter and placing his chin in his palm after saying goodbye to the two men exiting his shop. "Hmm, I see. It's a good thing you came to me." Gilbert ducked under the counter and there was clinking as he moved some things around. "Demon cats don't stray far from their home. So if you hadn't found it, then the cat was most likely hiding on purpose. The best way to lure it out is to sprinkle some canary powder."

The albino stood, holding out a bottle of yellow powder to Alfred. "Sprinkle this outside the house and the cat should come out. Then you just have to catch it and return it. It'll follow you if you sprinkle some of the powder every twenty steps or so. Just don't waste it before you've got it inside the house."

Alfred nodded, looking from the bottle up to Gilbert. "How long should we wait for before the cat shows up?"

"If it's close, about five minutes. The longest being ten."

Nodding again, Alfred grinned at Phillip. He shook the bottle slightly, "Ready to be done with this?"

"Oh yeah."

Alfred reached for his small back of coins tied to his belt, intent on paying the male. "How much is it?"

Tilting his head, Gilbert hummed and tapped the counter. "Mmm… I'll give it to you for free on one condition."

Blue eyes widened and Alfred nodded. "Sure! What is it?"

Gilbert gave him a warm smile, giggling. "Visit more often and tell me about what it's like to be a guard. I want to hear about it."

Alfred grinned, walking with Phillip to the door. "I'll be sure to! Maybe tomorrow, if I'm not busy!"

"I look forward to it." Gilbert called, waving as Alfred and his companion left the shop. He continued to carry his sweet smile, watching the two from the bay window.

When the two guards rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Gilbert's smile gave way to a frown and his warm demeanour was replaced with a serious and fierce one. Without taking his eyes off where the two had disappeared, Gilbert spoke.

"Well? What did you find out?"

There was rustling and something began climbing up the cape on Gilbert's back. Suddenly, a bronze, scaly form climbed atop Gilbert's shoulder. It turned its horned head to Gilbert, regarding him with hazel eyes.

Maybe if Alfred had been paying attention, he'd have noticed that the Wyvern lock on the door behind the counter was missing. But he had overlooked that it was gone. The lock was, in fact, currently perched on Gilbert's shoulder and was anything but immobile.

The small Wyvern leaned its scaly head to Gilbert's ear, whispering something to the albino. Gilbert's eyes hardened till they were slits, a firm scowl pulling at his features.

"Oh?" He spoke, his tone growing cold. "That's where they've escaped to? Well, we can't have those eggs reaching the Capital. Gather the others so we can discuss a plan. Don't get caught."

The Wyvern nodded and gave a small chirp in confirmation before jumping off Gilbert's shoulder and gliding up to a small window in the top corner of the shop. The window was always open, not that anyone took the time to notice or figure out why. The Wyvern gave one final look at Gilbert over its shoulder before slipping out the window and into the city.

Left alone, Gilbert's lips pulled into a devious smirk. "It seems the game has begun."

\--

With their mission successfully done, thanks to Gilbert's help, Alfred and Phillip returned to the barracks in order to inform Garret of their success and that the reward would be sent the following day.

Alfred knocked on the door of Garret's office, the man calling them in. Alfred pushed open the door just as Garret glanced up at them from the map he was looking at.

"Ah! Alfred, Phillip, just the boys I wanted to see. Have you completed your task?" He asked, folding his hands over the map and grinning at the two.

Stopping in front of his desk and saluting, Alfred spoke first. "We have successfully completed the task given to us. Lady Edwin promised to have the reward delivered the following morning."

Nodding his head, Garret leaned back in his chair. "Good good… Now Alfred, I know it hasn't been long since you've joined our ranks, but I feel like it's time you get out of these walls as a true Soldier of the capital. How would you and Phillip like to take part in an escort mission?"

Both boys looked at each other, eyes wide with disbelief. Phillip had been in the Capital training for almost three months now and he was never let on an escort mission once! This was huge for not only him, but Alfred! It was finally happening, Alfred was finally getting the chance to prove his worth as a Soldier. The entire idea made an excited grin break out along his face.

"Of course, sir!"

"We'd be honoured!" Phillip shared in Alfred's excitement, trying hard not to bounce where he stood.

Garret grinned and, if the boys hadn't been so excited, they might've seen the dark, plotting look that flashed through the man's eyes. It was quickly covered by a wide smile and Garret clapped his hands together.

"That's good to hear. The details for this task is simple. You two will be a part of a squad that has been picked for this mission. There will be 20 guards that will be in charge of escorting a package. It'll take a day to get out where the delivery is being held. As you can probably guess, it'll take another day to get back. The package is of dire importance and no matter what, it needs to be kept safe and unharmed. Am I clear?" Garret explained, a serious glint darkening his eyes.

The two Soldiers nodded, saluting the Head Knight once again. Once they expressed their understanding of the situation, Garret dismissed them with the information that they'd be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. So they were to spend the rest of this day getting prepared. Meaning they should go to Gilbert's shop in order to stock up on potions and what not.

So, as Alfred and Phillip walked back to the shop, they couldn't help but jitter with excitement.

"What do you think the package is?" Asked Alfred.

"Maybe some priceless jewels. Or maybe something really expensive! If so, then that could be why it's being protected by so many guards." Phillip hummed, chewing on his bottom lip in thought.

Alfred nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you think we'll be jumped by bandits?"

The idea wasn't too farfetched. After all, Garret had said the package was to not be harmed and was to be protected at all cost. So there was a high chance they'd be attacked on the way. If they weren't, then why the need for so many guards?

"Maybe, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. After all, no one would be stupid enough to attack 20 Soldiers with the possibility of Knights being in the mix." Phillip hummed as he pushed open the shop door.

"That is true…" Alfred grunted, flicking his blue eyes to the man behind the counter.

Gilbert looked surprised to see them, but his smile was warm and inviting. "My my, two visits in one day?"

Grinning, Alfred sauntered over to the counter and stood next to Phillip. "I just couldn't stay away."

This brought a small chuckle from Gilbert and the albino hummed in mild amusement, tilting his head to the side. "Really? I wasn't aware my company was so enjoyable."

"I can assure you it's very enjoyable." Alfred felt his stomach do small flips. Did he just flirt with Gilbert? And from the way Gilbert responded, it seemed as if he was flirting back!

Phillip raised a brow at Alfred and Gilbert before clearing his throat in a polite manner. "Excuse me, Mr. Beilschmidt? Would you be so kind as to help us stock up on some potions? We'll be going on a mission tomorrow and we were told to stock up on supplies."

Gilbert turned his focus on Phillip and nodded, walking out from behind the counter and towards the shelves. "Well for starters, you'll need some potions that help heal wounds faster. You don't know what to expect, so you should get at least two. Three if you think you'll need it. And a stamina potion should be effective. You won't need the strong stuff, trust me. Strong health potions are for if you've broken something. And I doubt you'll be out there breaking ribs, so the simple health potions should be fine.

"Same with the stamina potions. If you get strong ones when you don't need it, then you'll be bouncing off the walls as if you've eaten ten bags of sugar. Sounds fun, but the crash is far worse than a sugar crash. Your entire body will be sore and you'll be like jelly for the next few days. Completely unable to move a muscle. So like the health potions, just get a simple stamina potion. For that, you'll maybe only need one. After all, I doubt you plan to completely exhaust yourselves for your mission. But, just in case, you can get two."

Gilbert explained, picking out potions and holding them out for Alfred and Phillip to take. By the end of it Phillip had two health potions and two stamina potions while Alfred had two health potions and only one stamina potion. Gilbert went behind the counter and tallied up their purchases before announcing the total.

"For Phillip, that'll be 30 copper pieces. And Alfred, since you have 50% off your first five purchases, that'll only be 12 copper pieces." Gilbert hummed, smiling warmly.

Pausing, Alfred held up a hand to stop Phillip from reaching for his coin purse. "If that's the case, then let me pay for both of our stuff."

Phillip's eyes widened slightly, "What? Alfred, you don't have to do that!"

Ignoring his protest, Alfred grinned at Gilbert. "So what'll be the total?"

Gilbert chuckled, rolling his eyes and folding his arms over his chest. "27 copper pieces."

Alfred nodded, reaching for his small money pouch and pulling out the correct amount of copper coins. He placed them on the counter, Gilbert humming his thanks as he took the money.

The currency of the Capital was very simple. There were three types of money to use. Copper, silver, and gold. 50 copper pieces equalled one silver piece. And 100 copper pieces equalled 1 gold piece. Almost everything around the Outer District cost copper coins. Near the Middle District is where people started using silver coins, though they still had copper ones used here and there. In the Center District, most things were paid with either gold coins or silver. It made buying things in the Center District a pain if you couldn't afford it. But then again, most people living there could afford it.

"Well then, off you go boys. Stay safe." Gilbert said as Phillip and Alfred retreated towards the shop entrance.

"Don't worry, we will!" Alfred declared just before he exited the shop.

Gilbert sighed, slumping his shoulders slightly. His brows creased and he clicked his tongue, running a hand through his hair. "Oh boy…"

The brass Wyvern on the lock gave a small shudder and its eyes turned from their lifeless brown colour into a burning hazel. Slowly, its entire body shifted from the frozen colour into a rippling coppery-gold colour. The Wyvern hissed slightly, slithering off the door handle and flying to the counter where it curled up on itself. The rippling haze happened again and the small creature was once again made of pure, immobile brass.

The door it had been locked onto slowly creaked open and a man with a slim build walked through. He had dark brown eyes and hair to match. The hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail, a few wayward strands hanging around his face and framing the delicate features.

The man wore a deep blue Changshan with golden patterns etched into it. His arms were crossed over his chest and his hands were lost in the sleeves of the outfit. Twisting up the fabric was an image of an Eastern Dragon, its serpent body practically radiating power and elegance.

Closing the door behind him, the man smiled. "Pruzah tangisir, Sot."

Gilbert inclined his head towards the man, "Wang Yao. I didn't expect you to arrive till later tonight."

The man, Wang Yao, lifted a sleeve to chuckle behind it. "Well I figured you'd need to get ready for your little escapade tomorrow."

The albino grimaced, turning so his back was leaning against the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, scowling slightly. "Don't pretend like this doesn't concern you. It concerns all of us."

Yao held up his hands to signify he meant no harm, his smile dancing with mirth. "Of course, I was merely saying that you would no doubt need time to prepare. After all, tomorrow is the big day."

Gilbert's frown grew and he glared at the floor, a small growl coming from him. "I'm aware. Tomorrow is when it begins." Glancing up at Yao, his crimson eyes bore into the other man. "You are still with us, correct?"

"Would I be here if I wasn't?" Yao's smile turned kinder, his brows creasing. "Don't worry, Gilbert. I may not be joining you in the battle tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I won't join in the future. For now, it's up to you to make the first move."

Sighing, Gilbert's shoulders slumped and he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the white locks. "I just… Can't believe it's happening tomorrow. After tomorrow, it'll be too late to turn back."

Yao moved over to Gilbert, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. "It is something we must do without any hesitation or regret. We must right the wrong of the past. It is time we change this land, for the better."

\--

When morning came, Alfred and Phillip were rolled out of their cot and made to get ready. Then, after they saddled up their horses, the small platoon moved out.

There were about five Knights, the other 15 being Soldiers. Out of the five Knights, the only one Alfred knew was Antonio. He rode his horse at the front, his back straight and his entire posture radiating confidence. Like all the other Knights, he carried a different weapon.

Sometimes each Knight had a different weapon based on what the excelled in. Some were archers, some used different kinds of swords, and some even had custom made weapons.

Antonio had a long battle axe that had a larger blade on one side and a smaller blade on the other. He had it strapped to his back, the powerful weapon glinting in the light of the rising sun.

Alfred wondered what weapon he'd use when he became a Knight. He'd most likely stick with swords since that was what he excelled in.

As Alfred's thoughts continued to wonder, the day slowly slipped by. Every three hours they would pause for a small break to water the horses and eat a light meal. They travelled all day and, just as the sun was beginning to set, they could see what appeared to be a make-shift camp.

Drawing closer, Alfred could make out a large tent in the center of the camp, a few other smaller tents scattered around the large one. Merchants were mulling about, a few of them looking tense and constantly casting glances up at the sky.

Alfred instantly knew this was a merchant's camp. Their package was here? The Knight at the head of the platoon led them into the camp and held up a hand to stop them a few feet away from the larger tent. He dismounted, the other Knights doing the same. They disappeared inside the tent and, after around ten minutes of waiting, the Knights came out.

The grim look Antonio had on his usually jovial face made Alfred stiffen. What caused him to look like that? Was it the package? Just what were they escorting?

However, he couldn't dwell on the thought because the head of the platoon began speaking. "Alright, set up a perimeter around the camp. Take the time to rest, eat, and nap. We'll leave in exactly three hours." Turning to the other Knights, he began giving them tasks. "Antonio and Lila, you search the nearby areas and make sure it's all clear."

The two nodded, going off in opposite directions in order to scope out the perimeter.

Turning back to the other Knights, he nodded. "Help me get load up the carriage."

Nodding their understanding, the knights pulled forth the horse carrying the small carriage they planned to transport the goods in. Alfred watched a few of them disappear into the tent while the remaining Soldiers began dispersing.

As he and Phillip made their way towards the outer edge of the camp, Alfred glanced over his shoulder and squinted slightly. He couldn't be sure at this distance, but the packages looked almost like… Eggs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Soooo much research went into this chapter. I had a hard time finding what I needed. But eventually I did! Which is a good thing. The words the Dragons speak in here are in fact the language the Dragons in Skyrim speak. I wanted a language for the Dragons and I refused to risk creating my own. Too much on my plate :U So meh. I'll have translations at the end of the chapter.

It was as if the world had been set on fire. One moment it was entirely calm and peaceful, the next balls of molten fire were slamming into the camp and igniting everything unfortunate enough to get hit.

Before all hell broke loose, Alfred and the others were heading back towards the Capital to fulfil their task. They had putting a good amount of distance between them and the merchant's camp. If Alfred looked over his shoulder at it, the camp would be a mere cluster of tents in the distance.

Yet even from this distance, the camp was still noticeable, their lights brighter than the surrounding areas. The moon didn't do much to illuminate the darkened lands, its beautiful glow obscured a by large clusters of clouds.

As the platoon continued moving at a slow, steady pace, everyone was left to their own thoughts. It wasn't till someone bothered to look back at the camp and their exclamation of horror caused almost everyone to stop and look.

Alfred's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat at the sight. The camp was up in flames, more tents burning than not. From the clouds, black masses were swooping down and, thanks to the flames on the ground and spewing from their mouths, one could catch glimpses of what they were. There was no mistaking those scaly, prickly hides. The camp was under attack by Dragons.

The Knight in charge of the platoon wheeled his horse around towards the path leading to the Capital. "Everyone move! We need to get this package back to the Capital at all costs!"

"B-but the merchant's-!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Are as good as dead!" The Knight snapped, drawing his sword. "Protect the package with your life! Do not let the Dragons take it!"

As if on cue, there was a large roar from above them. Alfred's head snapped up and, thanks to a break in the clouds, the large form was illuminated. It landed in front of the platoon of soldiers, the horses bucking and shrieking in terror. The beast turned its massive head, its tongue darting out to taste the air like a snake.

The creature was a Wyvern with deep green scales, almost black when the moon wasn't shining on it. Sharp teeth stuck out from its bottom and top jaw, each one ending in a deadly point. Scratches and scars marred its face and body, no doubt from battles with other winged beasts. The frills on the side of its head shivered slightly, picking up sound like ears. Some of the horns on its body were chipped with age, the only ones intact were the two horns atop its head.

Everyone was in awe, their breaths coming out in small wheezes. However, what stopped everyone's breath was the form that shifted on the Wyvern's back. The form sat up from its hunched position and, as if on cue, the clouds parted further and illuminated the figure. The form leapt from the back of the Dragon, staring down the men on horses.

It was a man, lean in stature but with defined muscles. The top part of his chest was covered by a leather hide, his midriff exposed to show what looked like scars from talons. Hanging off his waist was a makeshift loin skirt, a sash of leather wrapping around the top part. His hands were decorated with clawed gauntlets made from white Dragon scales that gave an ethereal glow thanks to the moon's light.

His face was covered by a small Dragon's skull, his hair hidden by white fur that pooled over his back, reaching mid-waist. The Dragon skull had two horns twisting up from the top of it, a circular ruby imbedded into the forehead of the bone-mask. The man carried with him a spear with a sharp blade at the end, the weapon glinting under the moon's light.

Pointing at the Knights and Soldiers, the man spoke in a clear voice. "Tafiir! Return those stolen eggs!"

The head of the platoon tugged his reigns, forcing his horse to stand still. "You have no proof these are Dragon eggs. These could very well be the eggs of a Basilisk or a Griffin!"

A low growl came, not only from the Dragon, but the man as well. The Wyvern lowered its head so it was levelled with the man dressed in the scales of its kin. The Dragon's burning blue eyes narrowed at the head of the platoon.

"Fin Rok Hi Tinvaak Los Lo. Nust Pook Do Dovah." The dragon's deep voice rumbled in a threatening manner.

The man turned his masked face to regard the dragon before his head whipped back to look at the Knight. He pointed the spear at him, a growl in his voice.

"Hi Lo! You lie! He can smell the scent of Dragons! They cling all over the eggs. You cannot trick a Dragon's nose." The growl in his voice died down, but his threatening aura did not. "Now, human, you have the choice to return the stolen eggs to us, or I shall take them by force."

Alfred's eyes widened and he let out a breath of awe. Not only did this man carry himself like a prideful warrior, but he spoke the tongue of Dragons! Alfred had never met someone who could do such a thing. It was amazing, to say the least. And that declaration? Dare Alfred say it, but he was actually anticipating a fight with this man. He looked strong and skilled, but gave off the air that there was a hidden strength not outwardly shown.

Alfred shook his head, casting those thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time to think of such things. He could possibly die here! The sudden realization made him pale slightly. That was true, he could die here. Burned to a crisp by an angry Wyvern just because the platoon leader was too stubborn to return the stolen eggs. What did the Capital even need Dragon eggs for?

He hesitated, frowning. The thought seemed odd to him now that he thought about it. Why exactly did the Capital need the eggs? The task had said retrieve at all costs. So the Capital most likely knew that the package was eggs. But if that was true, then that must mean they knew that the eggs were stolen, didn't it?

Alfred's frown deepened, but he forced himself to ignore those thoughts till later. If he survived this, then he'd revisit those speculations. Until then, he had to focus on the here and now. Apparently he had missed some talking thanks to his thoughts straying. Now, as he tuned back in, he didn't really think he missed anything important.

"If you're such a proud warrior, then fight for your eggs!" The platoon leader demanded, sneering at the masked figure.

Stepping forward with a bare foot, the man pointed his spear at the Knight. "Alright, I accept your challenge, human. Fight me for the eggs that rightfully belong to the Dragons. If I win, you will return the eggs. If I lose then I admit defeat and will let you have them."

At this the Wyvern behind the man growled, its eyes narrowing. The masked figure turned to look at the Wyvern while everyone watched their exchange. Alfred's eyes strayed to the Dragon's tail that was flicking back and forth in apparent agitation. However, he only stared at the scaly thing for a second longer before looking back up as the two began speaking.

"Sot Od, Losei Ofan Niin Fin Kiir?" The deep voice sounded anything but kind.

Reaching out a hand and placing it on the Wyvern's shoulder, the masked figure's voice was completely neutral, not giving anything away.

"Nid, Zu'u Lo. Zu'u Fen Ofaal Niin Naal Fus Fod Zu'u Funt." The man gave the dragon a comforting pat, turning back to the guards when a pleased rumble left the Wyvern.

Alfred bit his lip, something telling his instincts that the little exchange wasn't good for them. If Alfred was in the masked man's position, he definitely wouldn't give up the eggs up, even if he lost. Alfred doubted the man would either. Just from guessing, Alfred could tell this man had pride. Maybe pride large enough to rival the Wyvern he was riding. This was a situation they couldn't afford to be cocky in. One misstep and it could end their life.

"This is foolish!" Someone snapped. Heads turned and watched as Antonio pulled his horse up to stand next to the platoon head. "Just give him the eggs. We have no right taking them even if the King demands it. This will just cause more conflict with the Dragons! We do not need another war."

The leader of the platoon glared at Antonio, lifting his chin defiantly. "You'd dare go against a mission given to us by the King?"

Antonio forced his voice to remain calm, yet stern. "If it means keeping as many people alive as we can, then yes. A war will bring more death, be smart about this."

The man scoffed, turning his head away from Antonio. "That's enough, Carriedo. I shall inform Garret of your insubordination when we return to the Capital."

"We won't return to the Capital if you think with your sword instead of your brains!" Antonio stressed, his usually sunny face replaced by one of frustration and annoyance.

"Get back and be quiet!" The head of the platoon snapped, snarling at Antonio. "Honestly, you're acting as if you think I can't handle a measly boy pretending to be a beast."

At this, the Wyvern growled softly, the masked man rubbing soothing circles on the Wyvern's shoulder. This caused the growl to settle into a low timbre.

Turning back to the man and the beast, the platoon head sneered. "I can handle this in a matter of minutes!"

Alfred watched Antonio glance at the masked man, his brows knitted together in frustration. He eventually sighed, lifting a gloved hand to rub the bridge of his nose. His lips moved as he muttered something, barely looking at the platoon head as he dropped from his horse and wielded his broadsword.

The man stepped away from the Wyvern, the beast watching the Knight with calculating eyes. The Dragon rider, as Alfred decided to call him, gripped his spear with both hands, stopping a few feet from the Knight.

"So, how will we decide who is the winner? Till one is unarmed, or till death?" The rider asked casually.

Narrowing his eyes, the head Knight scoffed. "I'm not stupid. If I kill you, your beast back there will just light us all ablaze. No, we'll fight till one of us is unarmed."

The rider shrugged his shoulders, "Fair enough."

And so the battle began. An experienced Knight verses an unknown Dragon rider. Alfred didn't want to assume the Knight would win right away. Not only was that unfair to just say the Dragon rider would lose, but he also didn't know of the man's abilities. For all Alfred knew, this guy could probably turn into a dragon. Now wouldn't that be something?

The platoon head was swinging his sword lazily, almost as if he had already won. From the experience Alfred had, he knew that being cocky was a sure way to get you killed. He bit his bottom lip, Is this guy seriously underestimating an unknown enemy? This guy is going to get himself killed!

And, with bated breath, everyone watched the man lunge at the masked figure. With practiced ease, the slash was dodged and the rider twisted, snapping his spear up as he moved. The very edge nicked the Knight's cheek, drawing a thin trail of blood.

This caused a look of surprise to flash over the man's face before it was replaced by a twisted smirk. He tightened his grip on his sword and took a more serious stance. His eyes sparked with interest and he readied himself to attack again, the Dragon rider giving no sign that he was at all worried.

The clash of steel against steel echoed around them, each figure weaving away and towards each other. The rider moved like a dancer, feet never staying too long in one spot before he was vaulting off in a different direction.

The platoon head wasn't completely useless, the man now taking the fight seriously after the blade of the spear travelled a little too close to his neck. Though he did get his own slices in, they were only a few shallow cuts on the rider's arms, legs, and exposed waist. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't land a clean hit.

Suddenly the rider lunged forward, twisting at the last minute and slicing his spear up. The platoon head stumbled back, tripping over his own feet in his haste to avoid the sharp blade. He fell backwards, his sword dislodging from his hands and sliding a few feet from him. The rider lifted his spear and aimed, slamming it down towards the Knight.

There was the sound of steel scraping against steel, a few sparks scattering from where the two blades collided. The rider's spear was being blocked by one of the thick blades from Antonio's axe. He had sprung from his horse at the last minute and blocked the attack that would've surely been fatal.

The rider's head snapped up to regard Antonio, both forms stiff.

"This fight is over, you have downed your opponent. Take the eggs and go, we won't stop you." Antonio spoke, ignoring the sound of protest from the Knight beneath his and the rider's blades.

After a moment of hesitation, the rider quickly withdrew his spear, taking a step back so he was closer to the Wyvern. The beast lowered its head, nudging the rider slightly.

Antonio straightened and turned his body slightly, looking at the Soldiers guarding the small carriage. "Bring the eggs forward, and be careful."

"Carriedo! You do not have the authority to disobey my orders!" The Knight on the ground snarled, making to stand.

Narrowing his usually kind eyes at the Knight, Antonio smiled. "I have every right to overrule your orders if it'll benefit the lives of the platoon. Going against your word to the Dragons is shameful as not only a Knight, but to the entire Royal Guard. Concede defeat with honour and desist from giving the Capital a bad name."

The man visibly flinched at the sickly sweet tone Antonio used. Alfred watched in awe as Antonio flicked his head towards the beast and its rider. Obeying the Knight's commands, the Soldiers slowly drew their horses closer to the Wyvern. As they presented the carriage to the rider, he stepped forward and opened the back, counting the eggs present.

"Nust Pah Het, Bormah." The rider poked his head out, nodding to the Wyvern. "None are missing."

Nodding its large head, the Wyvern growled softly and flexed its wings. "Gron Fin Keyy, Sot Od. Mu Fent Ofaal Fin Pah Faal."

The Dragon Rider nodded, looking at Antonio. "We're taking the carriage, unhook your horses."

Antonio gave his consent and, in only a short minute, the horses were no longer hooked up to the carriage. Alfred watched, mesmerized as the rider climbed onto the Wyvern's back as if it was the most natural thing to do. Looking at the Knights and Soldiers before them, the rider pointed his spear towards them.

"This won't be the last you'll see of my kind. We will put an end to the tyranny and lies woven by the man you call King! Maybe when that day comes, you'll finally see just how corrupted your precious Capital really is!" The rider cried, the Wyvern following his words up with a roar.

Then, before anyone could react, the beast flapped its powerful wings. Those closest shielded their face so the dirt wouldn't get in their eyes as the Wyvern lifted itself off the ground. The sharp talons on its feet grabbed the top of the carriage and with little effort lifted it from the ground. Then it pulled itself higher and higher into the sky, disappearing from sight.

There was a deathly silence that filled the area before it was broken by the harsh smack of someone being hit. All eyes tore from the sky and towards the tanned axe-wielding Knight that had stumbled back slightly from the force of the platoon leader's fist.

"Fucking bastard! That package was a direct request from the King! To be delivered at all costs! And you just handed it away without a second thought!" He snarled in Antonio's face, entire posture radiating anger. "You'll pay for this, Carriedo. I'll see to it."

Antonio gave no sign if he cared or not. Instead he climbed onto his horse and waited for the platoon head to retrieve his sword and climb onto his horse.

"We're heading back to the Capital, full speed!" The leader shouted before slapping his reigns and taking off.

It took only a pause before the other guards began spurring their horses after him. Along the way, each Knight and Soldier continued to try and process what just happened. Phillip and Alfred shared a look, Phillip far paler than Alfred. He looked sick, almost as if he'd tip over and fall off his horse. On the other hand, Alfred was more in awe than he was terrified.

This was not only his first time seeing a Dragon, but it was also his first time hearing one talk and seeing someone not only ride the thing, but actually understand it and talk back to it! It was beyond crazy, it was awesome! He couldn't wait to tell Gilbert! After all, how often did someone see a Dragon?

Once the excitement wore off, Alfred would most likely take the time to analyse what the rider had said. The words he spoke of lies and tyranny. Not only that, but Alfred would then ponder why the King would steal Dragon eggs. Till then, Alfred was like an excited kid, practically bouncing in his saddle with his eagerness to get home.

\--

When Alfred returned from the mission, he spent a while to unpack his items and watch as Antonio was ordered into Garret's office. However, he didn't spend long waiting to see if Antonio would be ok afterwards. Alfred wasn't too worried about Antonio; he was a Knight that did his duty. What was the worst that could happen? Alfred honestly just wanted to go see Gilbert and tell him about the Dragon and its rider.

So when he opened the shop door preparing to call a greeting to the albino, his words stuck in his throat at the person behind the counter. It wasn't Gilbert, but a slimmer male with delicate features and wearing clothes of an Eastern style.

He wore a simple Changshan that was a deep sea colour, silver eastern-themed Dragons etched into the fabric. The man's hair was tied in a loose ponytail that pooled over his shoulder in deep brown strands.

Glancing up from the mixture of strangely coloured powders, the man's chestnut coloured eyes focused on Alfred.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Alfred shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, suddenly uncomfortable. He had come here to talk to Gilbert, but it seemed like he wasn't here.

"Um… I'm… Here to see Gilbert?" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

The man blinked, turning his eyes to the door without the Dragon lock. He hummed, moving towards the door and opening it partially. Sticking his head into the crack, he spoke softly to the person on the other side. After a while, the man pulled back, opening the door further.

"I'm in here, Alfred. You can come in." Gilbert's voice called.

Alfred nodded, walking behind the counter and going into the open room. The room it led to appeared to be a nice kitchen with light streaming in through the windows. The kitchen was widely spaced with shelves and cabinets to one side. Near them was a simple stove and a sink with a few dishes inside. In the back of the kitchen was a staircase that disappeared into the second story. On the other side of the kitchen was a small table that Gilbert was sitting at, a mug of steaming liquid in his hands.

Gilbert was wearing a baggy grey shawl with a white buttoned down shirt underneath. A few of the top buttons were unbuttoned, exposing a creamy collar bone that had Alfred unconsciously blushing.

The albino's red eyes flickered up to Alfred, a tired smile gracing the man's features. "Hey, I thought you'd be gone longer. I take it your mission went well since you're here in one piece?"

Alfred gave a dry chuckle, sitting in the chair opposite to Gilbert. "Actually, I stopped by to tell you about it. This mission was… Well… Crazy!"

And so Alfred told Gilbert about the mission, starting from when he left the Capital to running into the Dragon rider. When Alfred got to the part with the rider, his entire attitude grew excited and he was practically bouncing in his chair as he talked about the man.

"I mean, just from what he showed I know he was holding something back. I bet you he's actually got a few tricks up his sleeves." Alfred concluded with a nod of his head.

Gilbert blinked owlishly, staring at Alfred for a while. "O-oh… Wow. That's… Incredible." The albino mumbled, at a loss for words.

Alfred chuckled, grinning. "I know, right? To be honest, I really want to see him fight again. But this time going all out, or at least in a spar. That'd be really cool! Though hopefully on peaceful terms, right? Because I mean he was riding a Dragon."

Hesitating, Alfred's childish excitement slowly faltered and he frowned, his shoulders drooping slightly. "… Now that I think about it… The mission was to retrieve stolen eggs. Why would the King want Dragon eggs? Wouldn't that cause a potential fight?"

Gilbert's brows creased and he frowned, glancing at the closed door leading to the shop before looking back at Alfred. "Listen, Alfred, the Capital isn't all good. There are some bad things happening here. Some things that could potentially lead to a war with the Dragons again."

Alfred pouted, "Yeah, the rider was saying something like that too. He was saying the King was a liar and a tyrant."

"And… Do you believe him?" Gilbert's voice was cautious, his eyes studying Arthur.

At this, Alfred took a few minutes to think of his response. He hummed, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head to the side. "If I think about it from an outsider's point of view, I can't really see anything that would indicate the King was a tyrant. But then again, I haven't been in the Capital long enough to create a solid opinion. For all I know, the things that guy said could be true. I can't really say if I believe him or not. Though after this mission, I am kind of questioning some things. Like, did the King not know those eggs were stolen or did he know they were? And what would he have used the eggs for? They were being kept warm and safe, so obviously they were supposed to be kept alive. But what for? What would the Capital do with stolen Dragon eggs?"

Gilbert's brows creased and he looked slightly conflicted. "That's not a bad answer…. And those questions are something one should ask. I'm not sure if I can give you answers, but I will do my best to help you work out those questions."

Alfred's expression lightened up at that, the blond smiling warmly at Gilbert. "I'll be sure to take you up on that offer. I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to believe that the King is good and that his motives are for his people."

Chuckling almost forcefully, Gilbert took a sip of his drink. Setting the cup down on the table, he opened his mouth to speak just as the door to the shop slammed open, Francis storming in furiously with Antonio following behind him, looking a bit calmer than the other.

"Dismissed! I cannot believe they dismissed you for what that ass kisser said! You were keeping everyone alive and you practically saved that bastards life! But what does he do? He points fingers and accuses you of failing the mission!" Francis snarled, fuming angrily.

Alfred watched with wide eyes as Francis stormed over to one of the many cabinets over the stove, opening one and pulling out a bottle of alcohol.

The man who Alfred had seen running the store for Gilbert leaned in the doorway, a brow raised.

"They dismissed you?" He asked Antonio, arms crossing over his chest.

Antonio sighed, plopping down in a seat next to Alfred. "I'm afraid so. I honestly think they were trying to charge me with treason. I wouldn't be surprised if Garret claims I was working against the Capital."

Francis furiously downed a glass of the amber liquid, huffing angrily and not at all acting in his usually dignified manner. "This is completely ridiculous!" His eyes flickered up to Gilbert before they glanced at Alfred. The blond blinked in surprise, almost as if he hadn't noticed the young Soldier was there. "Alfred? What're you doing here?"

Alfred smiled a little sheepishly, scratching his cheek. "Um… I was telling Gilbert about the mission." He paused before turning his blue eyes on Antonio, frowning deeply. "But you said they dismissed you? Why would they do that!? You did nothing wrong!"

"The mission was to retrieve the stolen Dragon eggs. Antonio chose the wiser decision. If he hadn't stepped in, all of you would no doubt be dead. It's not wise to go against a Dragon unprepared. You had no mages with you, no cannons, and no catapults. You all would've died within a matter of seconds." Gilbert said gravely, a deep frown etched into his mouth.

"Because I was the one who made the decision that cost us the mission. The King wanted those eggs, Alfred." Antonio spoke softly, sending a glance towards Gilbert.

"Aya, so what you're saying is that the King wanted them alive? Well you can guess why." The man in the door spoke, covering his mouth with his sleeved hand. "If he had a collection of Dragon eggs that would eventually hatch, he could experiment on them. Find their weaknesses and what not. But not only that, he'd have been able to have brainwashed the Hatchlings. Imagine the King having an army with Dragons in the mix. No neighbouring country would dare oppose him. Revolutions and rebellions could be squashed with as much as a flick of the wrist."

Alfred blinked at the man, letting the speculation sink in. That was logical and it made a scary amount of sense. Yet the thought was almost unthinkable. Could a King really do something like that? Steal children from their mother and not only experiment on them, but brainwash them?

Gilbert cleared his throat, giving the man in the doorway a pointed look. "Yao, don't leave my store unattended, please."

The man named Yao blinked, tilting his head to the side in mild confusion. At the look, Gilbert gave a strained smile. "I'll explain a few things later. In the meantime, please watch the shop."

Yao nodded, turning around and letting the door gently close behind him. Gilbert took a deep breath, smiling at Alfred before standing up and flicking his head to the door.

"Why don't I walk you out? I'll give you a list of people you can ask about the Capital and what goes on in the inner workings." The albino murmured, Alfred nodding his head and followed Gilbert out the door and through the shop.

He and Gilbert went outside after Gilbert took a pen and paper, scribbling a few things down on it. The two stood outside and Gilbert seemed hesitant, almost as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Gil, you ok?" Alfred asked, frowning slightly and tilting his head to the side.

Gilbert blinked, giving him a mildly strained smile. "Yes, I'm fine. Just… Thinking. If what you say is true, then I expect we'll have more sightings of the Dragon and its rider."

Alfred grinned at this, "I know I shouldn't be, but the thought has me excited! I've never met a person who can ride a Dragon or speak their tongue! It's pretty cool."

The albino chuckled at the excitement in Alfred's eyes. "Yes, I'm sure it was a sight." Taking a deep breath and sighing, Gilbert held out the piece of paper to Alfred. "Here's a list of people you can ask about the Capital. I suggest you stay away from the Outer District when in uniform. They don't take kindly to Castle Guards. These people are all friends of mine, so just tell them I sent you and I'm sure they'll tell you something."

Taking the paper and giving it a glance over, Alfred nodded before stuffing it into one of the pockets attached to his belt. "Thanks Gilbert, I'll be sure to talk to them when I have free time. I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty busy the next few days."

Gilbert chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sure you will. Getting the ranking of a Knight isn't an easy task, but I'm sure you can do it."

Alfred's smile faltered slightly, "Yeah… Hey… Do you think Antonio will be ok? I mean, he got kicked out in no time flat. No trial or anything!"

There was a flicker of emotion in Gilbert's eyes. It was gone so quickly Alfred assumed he must've imagined it. However, that emotion that had flashed through Gilbert's eyes was anger. He was angry about what had happened. Yet the livid emotion was only simmering below the surface. He couldn't express it yet, not in front of Alfred.

"I'm sure he will be once Francis calms down." Gilbert smiled, this time a genuine one. He patted Alfred's shoulder, giving him a gentle shove towards the Central District. "Now you return to your cot and rest up. I can tell you're tired, no matter how energetic you try and act. You can come and chat when you're well rested."

Alfred gave a small pout, his shoulders slumping. "I guess…" His posture straightened a moment later and that thousand watt smile was back in place. "Expect me to talk your ears off the next time I visit!"

"I look forward to it." Gilbert said warmly, watching Alfred walk away, the blond turning around in order to wave before continuing his journey towards the Central District.

Gilbert sighed, turning around and walking back into the shop. Wang Yao was cleaning a bottle with a rag, humming an old tune.

"I take it your friend is not a part of our little revolution?" He asked, not looking up at Gilbert.

The albino growled, a sound that was similar to the winged beasts printed around his shop. "I'm sure you could've guessed that, Yao. He wasn't at any of the meetings."

Antonio opened the door, leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Francis stood close to him, the blond frowning. Apparently he and Antonio heard the beginnings of the conversation.

"And just why isn't he? You're clearly smitten with him. I'd have figured you'd have brought him into our group." Yao turned his gaze up to Gilbert, smiling sweetly at him.

Gilbert's growl grew louder, the white haired male bearing his teeth. "Drop it, Yao. We're not dragging Alfred into this. It's too risky to add anyone else."

Yao sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yes it is risky, but we need more men on the inside. Now that Antonio is no longer a Knight, we're down by one. That leaves four left in the ranks of the Castle Guards. And while Francis is here, the other three have been away on a mission for almost an entire year."

"I have kept contact with them. If all goes like planned, they should be returning to the Capital in a month's time." Antonio spoke up, smiling warmly. "And, if my Intel is correct, Romulus will be returning sooner than his nephews.

Gilbert nodded, "Good. We'll need all the help we can get for what I have planned." Turning his head towards the door with the Wyvern lock, Gilbert called out to it. "Yuvon Golz, go and send word to the others that we will be conducting another meeting tonight. We'll need to devise a plan for our next raid."

The lock shimmered before life flooded into its scales and eyes, the Wyvern unwinding from around the door handle before it gave a purr. The small beast flew to the small open window, glancing at the occupants in the shop before sliding out over the edge and disappearing from sight.

\--

Translations:

1\. "Fin Rok Hi Tinvaak Los Lo. Nust Pook Do Dovah." The words you speak are lies. They reek of Dragon.

2\. "Sot Od, Losei Ofan Niin Fin Kiir?" White Snow, You're giving them the children?

3\. "Nid, Zu'u Lo. Zu'u Fen Ofaal Niin Naal Fus Fod Zu'u Funt." No, I lied. I will take them by force if I fail.

4\. "Nust Pah Het, Bormah." They're all here, Father.

5\. "Gron Fin Keyy, Sot Od. Mu Fent Ofaal Fin Pah Faal." Untie the horses, White Snow. We shall take the entire thing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello duckies! Here's the most recent chapter I posted to FF.net :> Meaning I just posted it last night! This fanfic originally was going to have smut, but I'm not sure how I can work it in. I've got a few ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet~ Anywho, enjoy.

As the days continued on, Alfred worked hard in order to climb the ranks. He took any mission he could get and would always send most of his earnings back to the village. He would also send letters with the money, little things talking about how he was doing and how life as a Royal Guard was.

Alfred hadn't had the chance to run into the Dragon rider since most of his jobs kept him inside the Capital. However, he did hear from returning Soldiers and Knights that the raids were intense. They appeared to be targeting a lot of camps stationed at the border in the East and West regions. The raids kept away from the Capital and from the throng of guards which, in Alfred's opinion, was rather smart.

However, as he made a note of every camp they attacked, Alfred couldn't find the connection. Why on earth would they target the borders? They didn't even attack camps with valuables or anything like that. They attacked miniscule camps that could be easily rebuilt. So the entire thing left Alfred stumped.

Yet even as the raids persisted outside the Capital, life in the Capital continued like always. Alfred spent his free time either training or hanging out in Gilbert's shop. Some days the Apothecary would look tired or sick, but if Alfred inquired as to what was wrong, the other male would just wave away his concern with a smile.

Alfred helped out in the shop whenever he could. Gilbert would often send in a request for an escort outside the Capital in order for him to peacefully gather ingredients he needed. Alfred usually took the job whenever he saw it on the bulletin board. He just honestly liked spending time with Gilbert.

The two got closer, as would be expected since they spent a lot of time together, but even Alfred could tell Gilbert wasn't showing his full colours. The albino was hiding something from Alfred. However, Alfred knew better than to pry for information. If Gilbert wanted to tell him, he would. It was as simple as that.

While he did help Gilbert by escorting him outside the Capital, he also helped him inside the shop too. From lifting heavy crates full of potions that needed to be shipped, to just sweeping around the place. During his occasional visits, he happened to meet a few more of Gilbert's friends.

The man from before, Wang Yao, was a peculiar man that seemed wiser and older than he looked. He sometimes spoke in riddles or as if he knew a secret and enjoyed not telling you. At first, Alfred had some trouble getting used to him. But after a while Alfred got used to his quirks. He often ran the shop whenever Gilbert looked particularly haggard.

Another friend Alfred met was a girl by the name of Michelle. It was the same girl he met when he had first came to the Capital. Apparently she was born and raised in the Third District and knew the ins-and-outs of every section in the Capital. She was also one of the girls on the list Gilbert gave him.

Alfred talked to her on the few questions he had. About the Capital, the Dragon rider, and any other thing he could think of. At first Michelle was suspicious, unwilling to say anything. But after discovering that he was friends with Gilbert, she gradually opened up.

In one particular conversation, Alfred remembered asking her about the Capital and what problems ran through it. Her answer surprised Alfred and left him contemplating his previous views on the Capital.

"It's corrupt," She had said, tone bitter. "Guards come into the Second and Third Districts, taking whatever they want and imprisoning people with little-to-no repercussions. I know not all of the Guards are like this, but there isn't enough to balance out the evil that is in the Royal Guards. The King takes money from everyone and if you can't pay, you somehow end up in an 'accident'."

After that, she didn't want to talk about the Capital anymore. The discussion didn't help Alfred in the slightest. It left him with more questions than answers, which was never a good thing. Yet, even though Alfred's curiosity grew with each day, he still couldn't find anyone to answer the questions he had. Just how was the Capital corrupt? What more reasons could there be other than bad Guards and crazy high taxes?

One morning, as Alfred was getting ready for a day of training, a Knight came up to him. Alfred, at first, was confused. Why was this Knight going out of his way to talk to him? Though, he should've suspected it was because of some form of errand.

"The Captain wants to speak to you." The Knight grunted, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb in the general direction of Garret's office.

Alfred nodded, "Yes sir."

Putting his longsword back in its sheath, Alfred casually walked to Garret's office. Along the way he wondered just what it was Garret wanted to see him for.

It was most likely a simple mission, the blond guessed. Only a few selective Knights have been sent out to take care of the Dragon Raids and where they might strike. The amount of Knights in the Capital was beginning to spread thin thanks to how frequent the attacks were becoming. Knights were being sent in packs to the Eastern and Western outposts. Those places were on the borders with the other countries and they were also where most of the attacks have been known to frequent.

From what Alfred could gather, they were sending Knights and mages there in order to try and put a stop to the raids. However, it was a pretty risky move. This left very few Knights in the Capital; the other Knights that were stationed in non-important outposts were being called back in order to just be transferred to the other outposts again. Alfred even heard a rumour that The Wolf of the East was returning along with the Double-blade Twins.

Alfred had only heard stories of them and how strong they were. Not to mention that they were related. The strength must've run in the family, Alfred had thought. For the longest time Romulus Vargas, The Wolf of the East, had been someone Alfred admired since he was a child. Even now, Alfred admired him and his nephews.

Apparently the three of them had been on a top secret mission in a neighbouring country. As to what that mission entitled, Alfred didn't know. It was, after all, a confidential mission specifically given to the three Knights by the King himself.

As Alfred's thoughts drew to an abrupt close, he knocked upon Garret's door. Waiting for the elder man to call Alfred in, the blue-eyed male pushed open the door and walked in, closing it behind him.

Standing before Garret's desk, he crossed his arms behind his back and stood up straight. "You asked to see me, sir?"

Garret looked up from the papers strewn about his desk, shifting in his seat so he was sitting up straight. "Ah Jones, just the man I wanted to see."

The man stood from his seat and walked over to the window in his office, looking outside as he talked. "I've noticed that you've been training rather hard in order to become a Knight. You've taken quite a lot of missions and you've even beaten some of your superiors in combat. That's quite an amazing feat."

Alfred felt pride swell in his chest, a grin pulling at his face. "Thank you, sir! I want to become a strong Knight in order to help my village."

Stroking his beard, Garret hummed in thought. "I see… Well you certainly have the qualifications. Diligent, loyal, a quick learner, and skilled with the sword. I say you already have the makings of a fine Knight. Tell me, how soon would you like to become a Knight?"

"As soon as possible," Alfred answered almost immediately, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. Hesitating, Alfred quickly added, "The amount of Knights in the Capital is dwindling substantially. The Dragon raids are becoming more and more frequent. At this rate, we'll have to start sending more Soldiers out to guard nearby outposts and that'll leave the Capital without protection."

Garret stroked his beard, nodding thoughtfully before turning his body to regard Alfred. "Smart boy. Tell me, Jones, if I gave you the chance to become a Knight, would you take it?"

Alfred's breath caught in his throat, could this really be happening? Nodding his head, Alfred subconsciously squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "In a heartbeat."

Too busy being blinded by his excitement, Alfred completely missed the sadistic glee that flashed through Garret's eyes. It was quickly masked up with a look of calm joy, Garret crossing his arms over his chest and nodding his head.

"That's what I like to hear. Alright, I'll give you a mission as your test," Garret walked over to his desk and scribbled something on a piece of paper, holding it out for the young blond to take. "After briefing, take this to the mission's office near the barracks. There they'll issue you a standard Knight's uniform."

Alfred nodded, taking the slip of paper. "Yes sir."

"Now, for your mission," Garret sighed, sitting down at his desk and opening a drawer. He pulled out a map, holding it out to Alfred for the blond to look at. "On that map you'll see a spot near the Northern border called "Vihm Forest". We have a camp stationed there that's been having some… Problems."

Alfred raised a brow, glancing at the location before directing his attention back to Garret. "What kind of problem?"

"It's believed that the Werewolves living in the woods are helping the Dragons with the raids. The Werewolves have been attacking shipments to the camp and a few of the Soldiers have also been victims to attacks. I'll assign you a platoon and two mages to take with you there. I expect you to get ready and leave by tonight. Do whatever you can to get the attacks to stop."

"Understood." Alfred nodded his head, forcing his expression to stay calm even though he really did want to burst out grinning.

Garret nodded, taking the map back from Alfred. "Good, Dismissed."

Alfred saluted Garret and then turned on his heel, walking from the room and closing the door behind him. Once the door was closed, Alfred let his bright grin form and the giddiness in his chest to rise. Shivers of excitement ran up and down his spine, coiling warmly in his stomach. He was becoming a Knight! This was his test as a Knight and if he passed, he would be an official Knight! His goal was in his grasps, merely waiting for him to take it.

As Alfred was walking to the Mission's office, his mind was racing. He couldn't wait to write a letter to his brother and tell him the good news! And Gilbert, he had to tell Gilbert! Better yet, he could show Gilbert!

Alfred wasted no time changing into the Knight's uniform when he got it, the blond turning in his Soldier's uniform as requested. If he failed the test, he would get it returned. But Alfred didn't want to think about failing, he would succeed. This was his time to shine.

The blond practically skipped to Gilbert's shop, feeling sharp in the pristine white uniform. He turned a few heads, both male and female alike. A good portion of the females batted their eyelashes at him, enjoying the sight of a blond haired, blue eyed male in the Knight's uniform. Alfred was attractive without the uniform, but with the uniform added? He was a sight one could only dream about.

Alfred opened the familiar shop door, practically radiating joy.

"Gilbert! You won't believe what just happened!"

Now when Alfred was walking towards the shop, he had been thinking of all the different reactions Gilbert would have. Maybe he'd have tears of joy, or maybe he wouldn't cry but would still be just as happy. Maybe he'd hug Alfred or maybe he'd even give him a kiss? Alfred wouldn't deny that he liked that scenario the most. However, what did happen was not what Alfred expected.

He didn't expect Gilbert to drop the potion in his hand and let the glass shatter across the floor, spilling its contents with the impact; nor did he expect the horror stricken look Gilbert gave him. No, Alfred could clearly say this wasn't what he expected at all.

Gilbert took a hesitant step back, a hand coming out to rest on the counter behind him and keep his suddenly weak knees from giving out.

"A-Alfred… Your uniform…?" Gilbert breathed, paling.

Alfred frowned in confusion at the reaction, lingering near the entrance. Though the albino's response was odd, maybe he'd just startled the other? He grinned, though it was obviously strained.

"I see you've noticed the change! They're promoting me to a Knight!" Though the whole thing hasn't been solidified yet, there wasn't anything wrong with being so sure, right?

"You're being promoted…?" Gilbert frowned, bringing up the hand not leaning against the counter to scratch at his head. "This doesn't make any sense… Why would they promote you?"

Alfred shrugged, "Maybe because they've seen all the hard work I've been doing?"

Gilbert shook his head, the grip in his hair tightening. "No, that can't be it. This is just… Impossible!"

He knew he shouldn't, but Alfred took offense to that. After all, why wasn't Gilbert happy for him? He'd finally accomplished his dream, he was becoming a Knight.

"What do you mean it's "impossible"? How is me becoming a Knight impossible?"

"It just is! I mean, you haven't been a Soldier for very long and it took Antonio and Francis almost three years to be made Knights." Gilbert bit his bottom lip, looking Alfred up and down before ripping his eyes away and glaring at the wall. "Just what are they plotting?"

"Plotting? Why would they be plotting anything? Maybe I'm good enough to be made a Knight in just a few months!" Alfred pouted, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner.

Gilbert sighed, opening his eyes to look at Alfred. "But don't you find this the least bit suspicious? You come to the Capital, do a few minor missions, and then a few months later you become a Knight? Alfred, there's red flags all over the place!"

"I don't get why you're being so paranoid! So what I've only been here a few months? I've already beaten a few Knights in combat!"

"Beating some Knights in a practice match doesn't mean anything! Alfred, something is seriously going on!" Gilbert's voice was rising in volume in order to match Alfred's, both of their gazes narrowing and turning sharp.

Alfred scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Nothing is going on! We need all the Knights we can get! The Dragon raids have become more frequent and at this rate, there might be another war! Who knows what'll happen! Honestly, me being a Knight is a good thing!"

"No it isn't!" Gilbert snapped, cutting his hand through the air. "It's the worst thing imaginable!"

The albino's words were like a harsh slap to the face, Alfred unconsciously flinching. Gilbert looked taken aback by his own outburst, his hand quickly slapping over his mouth. Gilbert took a step forward, holding his hands up in a placating manner.

"A-Alfred, I don't mean it that way." Gilbert hesitated, looking more distraught by the second. "I just- I meant-!"

Alfred glared at Gilbert, eyes clouded with hurt. "I seriously thought you'd be happy for me… But you're not." Alfred clenched his fists, turning his head and grinding his teeth together. "Tch… I don't have time for this. I have a test to carry out."

"Alfred!" Gilbert's yell was lost as the blond stormed out of the shop, body hunched and looking utterly crushed. Gilbert groaned and grabbed his hair, tugging at the white strands. "Shit! That dolt isn't listening!"

Gilbert stormed into the back of the shop that led to his living quarters, barely glancing at Francis and Antonio who were already halfway down the stairs. The two had heard the ruckus and had just made it to the stairs when Alfred stormed out.

"Gilbert? Who was that?" Francis asked, worried for his friend.

"What were you yelling about?" Antonio added, walking down the rest of the steps and towards the albino who was leaning against the counter, back hunched.

"… It was Alfred…" He mumbled.

"Alfred? You were arguing with him? What, did he refuse to accept your sudden "discount"?" Francis joked, following after his lover.

A menacing growl came from the albino as he raised a fist, slamming it into the wooden island counter and causing a spider web of cracks to form from the impact. Antonio and Francis both flinched, eyes widening at the action.

"They made him a Knight!" The words were spat out with such venom, the albino's crimson eyes blazing with a burning fire. His lips curled back in a snarl, "And he wouldn't listen to me! I tried to tell him it was too suspicious, but he just wouldn't think!"

"Wait, hold on a second! Are you telling me that Garret seriously made Alfred a Knight? You sure you didn't just have a bad hallucination from breathing in too many potion fumes?" Francis exclaimed, his entire posture tense.

"He had the uniform on and everything!" Gilbert carded his hand through his hair, "And it shocked me because I thought I wouldn't have to worry about him becoming a Knight! I thought we'd have this over and done with before he even reached his first year as a Soldier!"

The albino began pacing, his entire posture radiating distress. "And he just wouldn't listen to me! But he was just so damn happy to be a Knight! A-and then I snapped and I said something I shouldn't have. It made it sound like him being a Knight was the worst decision! And though it is- ."

"You made it sound like an insult instead of something said out of worry." Antonio finished for the ranting male. Gilbert looked at him, the anger fading out of him and leaving only a distraught feeling.

"What do I do? I didn't plan on this… He was supposed to be in the Capital, safe from the raids until we launched the actual attack. I was then going to hide him in the Dovah Pindaar so he'd be safe." Gilbert's voice fell to a whisper, the albino uncharacteristically unsure and doubtful.

Francis frowned, "You planned on kidnapping him and hiding him in the Dragon's territory? Without any explanation or time to process what was happening?"

Being confronted with his half-baked plan caused the albino to blush. "I-I would've explained! Kinda…"

Antonio shook his head, sighing. "Alfred wouldn't just sit there and take it. He'd ask questions, demand answers. Want to know how and why you're connected to the Dragons. How we all are connected to the Dragons. You'd have to do more than a simple explanation. You'd have to tell him everything. About what really happened in the War, the lies the Capital told, what they're doing, and everything in-between. If you want to keep him safe, he needs to know."

Gilbert hesitated, gnawing on his bottom lip. "I know… I know I need to tell him- to show him!"

"Well I can go fetch him, did he say anything about leaving for a test?" Francis smiled reassuringly at his friend.

"He did say something like that before leaving the shop. But I don't know what time he leaves or where he's going." Gilbert sighed, leaning against the counter.

Francis nodded, heading towards the stairs in order to get his uniform and head to the Center District. "Alright, I'll get changed and then go ask him. Don't worry, I'm sure he isn't going anywhere dangerous. They've already sent out Knights to the Eastern and Western outposts like you predicted. The only place he can be sent to is at one of the other outposts. We have nothing to worry about."

At this, Gilbert smiled, relaxing. "Yeah, you're right. He'll probably be sent to a nearby outpost and just told to run drills or something."

Antonio chuckled, patting Gilbert's back. "See? You have nothing to worry about. Alfred will be perfectly fine."

\--

Francis slammed open the shop door, eyes wide. "They're sending him to the Vihm Forest!"

For the second time that day, Gilbert dropped the potion he was carrying. Yet before it even shattered on the floor, he was already going to the shop door that led to the living quarters.

"Shit!" Gilbert chanted the words as he sprinted upstairs, coming back down with a small satchel. He then began stuffing bread and cheese into it, grimacing.

"What's going on?" Antonio asked, confused. He had been in the kitchen lazing around as he enjoyed a simple meal when Gilbert had come rushing past, the albino looking completely haggard.

"Vihm Forest." Francis had taken the necessary strides in order to reach the door, the blond now leaning in the doorway as he caught his breath.

Gilbert growled, "I knew it was suspicious! They sent him there as bait, didn't they? Sending a Knight into their woods is like a challenge to the Wolves! They'll be drawn out in order to state their territory! He'll be torn apart!"

"He's leaving tonight and he doesn't just have a platoon of Soldiers with him. He has two mages accompanying him. They're Ensnaring mages." Francis' voice was grim, his pallor almost matching Gilbert's.

The albino froze, entire body stiffening. Ensnaring mages used spells that specialized in capturing. Be it magical or not, their spells could capture anything. A single Dragon could easily defend themselves against one Ensnaring mage, yet against two? And who knew how powerful they were?

"They're going to try and capture the Wolves…" Gilbert whispered.

"It's like what they were doing with the Dragon eggs. The King really is planning to create an army of magical creatures." Antonio growled, his usually jolly nature vacant. "They're using Alfred to lure the Wolves out in order to capture them!"

"Or slaughter them. Imagine, those woods no longer under Werewolf control? The magical creatures that reside in those woods and rely on the Werewolves to keep out intruders, they'll be targeted. There'll be nothing to stop the King from a full scale war with the other nations if he has magical creatures in his army." Gilbert was seething, his entire body radiating an anger both Antonio and Francis shared.

"Unicorns being forced to heal the wounded, Trolls smashing through the front lines, and who knows what else they could use! It'd be chaos! Complete and utter chaos!" Francis snapped.

Gilbert slung the satchel over his shoulder, storming into the shop with Antonio and Francis hot on his heels. "I need to go after them; I need to stop them before Alfred gets killed!"

"But what about you? My friend, be sensible here. There are two mages with him, not one. You cannot go at this alone." Antonio spoke from behind Gilbert as the albino began picking up potions from behind the counter and stuffing them into the bag.

"And what do you suggest I do? Wait around twiddling my thumbs?" Gilbert snorted, stomping to the door with the Wyvern lock.

Antonio and Francis shared a look, frowning. Antonio stepped forward, stopping Gilbert with an arm on his shoulder. "Let me go with you. I'm useless just sitting here. If I'm with you, we don't have to worry so much about the Ensnaring Mages."

Gilbert turned to look at his friend, brows creasing. "But what if it's all a trap? I'm risking a lot just to go save Alfred. A kid that we barely know."

"Don't say that," Francis gave Gilbert a warm smile. "You're saving a kid who has a family he's trying to protect, a kid who makes an effort to visit you every day, a kid who's still got a sense of justice and still manages to stay kind and sweet despite the shitty cards he's been dealt, a kid who's important to you."

Gilbert stared into the eyes of his two closest friends before he hesitated, nodding his head. "Alright, I'll take Antonio with me. I'll send Yao up to watch the shop." Pausing, Gilbert tapped the Wyvern lock, waking it up from its immobile slumber. "I'll give you guys some privacy to say goodbye."

"We appreciate that." Francis smiled, waiting till Gilbert and the golden Wyvern disappeared behind the thick wooden door before he turned and gathered Antonio up in his arms, hugging him tight. "You come back to me, understand?"

Antonio chuckled, leaning back to lay gentle kisses along France's face. "I promise I'll come back, no matter what."

\--

When Alfred had met the two mages that'd be travelling in his platoon, he felt that the term "unsettling" was an understatement. The first man looked to be around Alfred's age, if not younger. He had dirty blond hair with a small, fern green top hat on his head; it was accompanied by two ribbons, one yellow, the other red. His trench coat also shared the same colour as the top hat.

The other was a boy that looked like he was just branching out of his teens, his chin-length blond hair framing his delicate face. The boy wore a sage green tunic with brown riding boots and a deep basil green cape draped over his slim shoulders. While the both of them looked normal, it was their eyes that caused Alfred to feel uneasy.

Their eyes were empty and, to put it simply, dead. There was nothing in them; no life, no emotions, just an empty shell. If Alfred had to find a word for it, they almost seemed… Possessed. Needless to say, having those eyes focused on him made his skin crawl.

Though he tried to keep his mind focused on the mission, Alfred couldn't help but think back to Gilbert and their "fight". He still felt hurt by the albino's words, but Alfred continued to push his hurt down and instead focus on the other's words and actions. This caused some questions to arise.

Why did Gilbert freak out when Alfred said he was going to be a Knight? Why wasn't Gilbert happy for him? What did Gilbert have against Knights?

Now that Alfred thought about it, he did recognize that Gilbert always grew a little odd whenever the Capital or Knights were mentioned. In fact, Gilbert got weird whenever the Dragon raids or anything involving that was mentioned.

Alfred frowned, brows drawing together in thought. Just why did the albino act the way he did? There had to be a reason for it. No one acted without reason, that's what he believed. So that had to mean there was something about those topics that made Gilbert very uncomfortable, hence why he never liked dwelling on the topic for too long.

For the entire journey, Alfred pondered over these thoughts. Eventually he came to the conclusion that, when he got back, he'd ask Gilbert about what he meant. He'd also ask the other male what his deal was with the Capital and everything else that was going on. Alfred wanted answers, he didn't like secrets between him and Gilbert; not if it was hurting their relationship. Gilbert's dislike for Knights seemed to come from somewhere, but where? In a matter of hours, Alfred would eventually find out just where the bitterness came from.

The camp was stationed at the edge of a cliff overlooking a ravine that cut through the forest and went on for who knows how long. To get down to the ravine from where the camp was, was suicide. It was a sheer drop and, if you weren't careful, you could land on a rock. It was a rather stupid move, in Alfred's opinion. Who would put a camp full of Soldiers at the edge of a cliff? Sure you couldn't get attacked from behind, but if you were being pushed back by the enemy, you'd have nowhere else to run.

It was when they were about a mile or two away from the camp that a shadow fell over them. The horses stopped abruptly and jolted back, their heads swinging wildly as they stamped the ground in fear. The sound of the massive, leather wings beating against the wind made it very easy to tell just what it was that was above them.

Soon the scaly beast dropped in front of them, smoke billowing out of its nostrils as it swivelled its head to regard the platoon of warriors.

Alfred's heart made its way to his throat, ceasing all forms of breathing as his mind quickly registered that he knew this Wyvern. Well, not personally, but he remembered what it looked like. It was the Wyvern that had been accompanying the Rider when Alfred had first saw him. Then… That could only mean that…

Just as Alfred's eyes snapped towards the beast's back, two figures leapt from it. One was the Dragon Rider dressed in white, looking just as Alfred remembered him. The other man was dressed in scales and leather made of a rusty colour, a dragon skull also perched on his head and obscuring his face, but not his hair. His was just a simple skull with winding horns, no fur or jewels imbedded into it.

His weapon was also different from the first rider's. It was a double-sided axe with a handle made from bone and the blades had intricate designs painted and carved into its surface. It looked like a menacing weapon and Alfred couldn't help but think that he knew someone else who used such a weapon.

"Do not go any further!" The white-clad rider shouted, stepping forward and point his spear at the Guards.

Alfred felt his heart beat erratically in his chest, feeling the eyes of the Soldiers turn to him, the Knight. Clicking his heels into the flank of his horse, Alfred led the mare forward a bit so that he was between both parties.

"Why do you block our path?" Alfred called, hoping his voice didn't show how nervous and excited he was

The rider's attention snapped to Alfred and, though Alfred was too far away to see it, some of the tension in the man's posture lessened.

Behind the rider, the Wyvern's deep voice resonated clearly. "Kos Onik Do Daar, Sot Od."

He nodded his head, not glancing at the Wyvern behind him. "Zu'u Mindok, I know." The rider took a deep breath and sighed, tightening his grip on the spear. "You are being placed into a trap, Knight."

Alfred stiffened, was this rider speaking the truth? But then who would be placing the trap? The Werewolves? But weren't the Werewolves supposed to be working with the Dragons? Then why would they be outing the plan. Unless that was the plan? To make it seem like there'd be a trap when actually it was to stall for time.

"How can we trust you? The Dragons have been attacking our outposts and killing Soldiers and Knight's. What makes it so different now? Why are you trying to stop us? If it is a trap, why would you warn us about it?" Alfred questioned, lifting his chin and squaring his shoulders. "Maybe there isn't a trap. Maybe you're just planning to attack us if we did turn around."

There was a distinct growl that came from the white-scale wearing man. As he took a step forward, the man with the battle-axe quickly shot out a hand and stopped his companion. The man leaned his head in close, whispering something to the paler rider.

The rider, which Alfred was beginning to think was named Sot Od seeing as how it had been an occurring phrase the large Wyvern had been using to address the rider, nodded his head before turning back to face Alfred.

"Do not mistake my meaning, Knight. I am not trying to lure you into a trap with my words. The trap has already been set, but by your so called "King". He means to use you, a Knight, to lure out the Werewolves." Sot Od said, pointing his spear at Alfred.

This caused the blond to frown even more. Here it was again, the idea that the King was corrupt. Just why would the King want to lure out the Werewolves? Alfred voiced this question and the rider seemed happy to answer.

"Power, of course. You have two mages with you, yes?" The man didn't wait for Alfred to respond before he continued speaking, "Well do you know what kind of mages they are? They're Ensnaring mages; mages that specialize in capture and containment. The King intends to use you to lure out the Werewolves in order to use the mages to capture as many Wolves as he can."

Alfred shook his head slowly, trying to process this information. "Why would the Werewolves be drawn out by me? And why does the King want them?"

This time the other rider spoke, his voice low and gentle. "The King wants to capture the Werewolves in order to put them into his army. And as for how you'd lure them out, it is because you're a Knight. To them, a Soldier is considered a Beta. A Beta, to the Wolves, is neither threatening nor pleasant. They are in the middle; capable of being a threat or an ally if they act accordingly.

"However a Knight is considered an Alpha. With Werewolves, their pack already has an Alpha, their leader. Another Alpha entering their woods with hostile intent is a challenge to the leader. The leader must defend his pack and territory, therefore he and his pack will go confront the trespasser. Which would be you." The man finished, inclining his head towards Alfred.

Alfred crossed his arms over his chest, brows furrowed as he thought about this. On one hand, it made clear sense. From what he's been hearing from the people in the Outer District and the Middle District, the King was into some seriously shady business. So it wasn't that farfetched to believe that the King would sacrifice him to get what he wanted. It was a scary thought, if Alfred was to be honest.

But on the other hand, this could be another trap. Trick him into thinking the King was willing to kill him off just to get some Werewolves. That too was a possibility, seeing as how the Dragons were attacking the outposts and whatnot.

I'm overthinking this… Alfred thought to himself, shaking his head before looking back up at Sot Od. "How can I trust your word?"

It was clear that the rider was hesitating, but then his shoulders slumped and he almost seemed resigned. "You can't."

Alfred gnawed on his bottom lip, flexing his fingers as he thought up a solution. Just what could he do in this situation? "If what you say is true," Alfred spoke, making it up as he went along. "Then prove it. Duel me, one-on-one. If I win, we'll continue to the camp. If I lose, then we'll return to the Capital."

"Do I have your word?" Sot Od asked, taking another step forward.

Alfred nodded, climbing down from his horse and pulling out his sword. "You have my word as a Knight."

It took only a moment before Sot Od took a step towards Alfred, then another, and another until he was breaking out into a full sprint. Alfred also charged, tightening his grip on his sword and pulling it up to block just as Sot Od stabbed at him with the spear.

The rider feigned to the right, almost catching Alfred off-guard when he suddenly dodged to the left and stabbed again with his spear. Alfred twisted his body, nearly missing getting run through.

Alfred backed up with each jab, narrowly avoiding getting skewered with the pointed object. Gritting his teeth, Alfred dug his heel into the ground and swung up, obviously surprising the other male. Sot Od took a step back, bring his spear up to block Alfred's downward strike.

Sot Od's leg lifted and snapped out, his knee catching Alfred in the side and causing him to wince, the force in his sword weakening enough for Sot Od to push him off. The male leapt away from Alfred, crouching down and reading his spear to charge.

Alfred also got into a defensive position, his body tense as he waited for the other to make his move. Yet it never happened. Instead there was a sudden roar and the second rider was yelling at them to "Look out".

Looking over his shoulder, Alfred's blue eyes widened at the large fireball headed straight for him. Yet before it could hit, Alfred was tackled to the ground and the fireball whizzed over his and Sot Od's head. The two of them looked at the source and saw one of the mages, the one with dead green eyes, lowering a hand that had soft tendrils of smoke coming from it.

"Missed." Came his deadpanned voice.

"What are you doing!?" Alfred cried, his battle with the Dragon rider forgotten in favour of wondering just why the hell the mage was attacking him.

Pulling his horse up next to the green-eyed mage, the brown-eyed one regarded Alfred with a tilted head. "Our orders. We are to retrieve the Werewolves and, if we encounter a Dragon, we are to apprehend them as well. Anything that gets in the way of our orders are to be eliminated."

"And you were going to die anyways. There was no other reason for you to be a Knight than to lure the Alpha out. The King wasn't going to waste an actual Knight on a suicide mission." The green-eyed mage added, turning his head to look at the platoon behind him. "You have your orders. Eliminate those that get in the way. Kill everyone but the Dragon."

Alfred watched as his "men" pulled their swords out and dismounted, charging at them. Before Alfred could blink, he was being yanked up by the back of his shirt and pulled towards the Wyvern. The beast had its head reared back and wings spread, looking ready to take flight at any moment.

"Time to go!" The brown-haired rider shouted, climbing onto the scaly back.

That snapped Alfred out of his minor daze when he realized he was being pulled onto the Wyvern's back as well. "Wait, what!?"

He was placed in front of the brown-haired rider, Sot Od climbing on in front of him.

"Go!" He yelled and without further hesitation, the Wyvern beat its wings and launched into the air.

Alfred let out a cry as he was jostled, but the rider behind him easily steadied him.

"Woah there! Can't have you falling to your death after we just saved you, huh Alfred?" The man chuckled.

He almost got whiplash from how fast he turned his head, staring at the rider with wide eyes. "W-what? How do you know my name!?"

Yet before the man could respond, they were all jolted forward. The reason for this was because the two Ensnaring mages had cast a spell, purple tendrils surrounding them with a few latched around the Wyvern's tail and leg, keeping it from flying off any further.

The Wyvern roared, using all of its focus to keep from falling to the ground. Gripping Alfred's shoulder tightly, the brown-haired rider leaned to the side and looked at Sot Od.

"If you're going to do something, better do it quick!" He yelled.

Sot Od stood up and Alfred watched with wide eyes as he placed a hand on the Wyvern's neck to steady himself before lifting a hand to his bone mask. From this high up, it was hard for the people down there to see the man's face, but Alfred had a full front row view.

When the mask was lifted, he was greeted with the face of someone he had made an effort to see every day. The same person who he had fought with. The same person he had been thinking of little over an hour ago.

"Gilbert…" He whispered, his voice barely audible.

Gilbert wasn't even looking at him, he was glaring down at the Soldiers and mages below them. A growl reverberated from his throat, the burning fire dancing in his eyes expressing his anger more than words could. Gilbert gritted his teeth and Alfred could swear smoke was seeping from his mouth.

Alfred watched in a mixture of awe and alarm as Gilbert took in a deep breath and opened his mouth. Like the beast they were on, flames erupted from Gilbert's mouth and down towards the ground below. One of the mages instantly stopped their spell in order to reflect the fire, barely managing to save his life along with a handful of Soldiers closest to the two of them. Though by the screams Alfred heard, he could tell not all of them were unscathed.

"Go, now!" Gilbert yelled.

The Wyvern growled and since only one mage was currently trying to bring him down, the beast easily shook off the magical hold. With another beat of its wings, the Wyvern lifted itself higher into the air and began flying away from the mages, following the ravine's path below them.

Alfred was as white as a sheet, staring with wide, betrayed eyes at the man who, before now, he had assumed ran a shop and always had on a pleasant smile. Instead the man before him was a warrior, a Dragon.

"Gilbert…?" He couldn't even register that it was his voice talking. And even when those crimson eyes turned to him, Alfred still found himself thinking that Gilbert, even like this, was beautiful.

Gilbert's brows creased and he opened his mouth to say something, but the Wyvern was suddenly hit in the side by a fireball. Gilbert gasped as he lost his hold and fell to the side. His foot slipped out from under him and he tipped off the Wyvern's back, falling off the side. Alfred, on instincts alone, launched himself forward and caught Gilbert's hand. However he too slipped from the side and would've fallen had the other rider not caught his wrist.

"I've got you!" He grunted, struggling to pull them up.

Gilbert looked up at them before looking towards where the fire had come from. The mages and remaining soldiers were back on their horses and riding after the Wyvern and its passengers. One of the mages had cast the fire spell, hoping to slow them down in order for them to get in range to cast another Ensnaring spell.

The albino's head snapped up, his red eyes locking with the other rider. "Antonio, drop us! Get out of here safely. We'll meet you at the den!"

"What!?" Both Alfred and Antonio shouted at the same time.

"My friend, are you crazy?!" Antonio exclaimed.

Gilbert growled, "Stop bitching and get moving! We don't have time to argue! Father, get out of here quick! Fly into the clouds, get lost from their sights!"

Antonio looked up at the approaching enemies before looking back down at Gilbert, using one hand to lift his mask up so there was nothing blocking the way of their eyes meeting.

"You'd better not die, understand?"

Gilbert grinned, "Are you kidding me? Dragons are almost impossible to kill."

Alfred was panicking; not about the fact that it was Antonio, but about the fact that Antonio was about to drop them. "Can I at least get a say!?"

Yet Alfred's shout went unanswered as Antonio's grip went slack and Alfred slipped through his hands. He let out a cry as he and Gilbert plummeted through the air and towards the water. Just as they passed the edge of the cliff, Alfred felt a tug on the hand holding Gilbert. The albino pulled Alfred close, making sure that Alfred was above him and his back was towards the water.

"Better hold your breath! If we live, I'll tell you everything!" Gilbert grinned at him before taking a big gulp of air. Alfred didn't even bother with a response before he too filled his lungs with air.

And just as he closed his mouth, they hit the water with a harsh slap that had Gilbert gasping slightly in pain. They were submerged in a split second and surfacing the next, the tide strong and angry. Alfred and Gilbert had become dislodged from each other the moment they hit the water and, with the current pulling them downstream at an incredibly fast rate, it was no wonder Alfred found himself rolling under the crashing waves.

When he did surface, he struggled to stay afloat in the current. Alfred coughed and sputtered despite the fact water would get in his mouth every time he opened it to gasp for air. His head spun this way and that, Alfred trying to find the white hide Gilbert was wearing.

"G-Gilbert!" He shouted before his head was pulled under water again.

Alfred tore through the water, surfacing and taking a massive gulp of air. Once again he shouted the albino's name, looking around wildly for the other. Alfred's arms were burning from the effort of fighting the current, but he continued to push on. He couldn't give up, that'd mean death! And who knows, maybe Gilbert was under the water? What if the impact had really hurt him? What if he was drowning at this very moment?!

His panicking was interrupted when he heard something. It was hard to hear over the rapids, but then he heard it again, this time louder.

"Alfred!"

It was an effort to turn around, but when he did, he was beyond filled with relief. Gilbert, who was also struggling with the raging water, was behind him.

Spitting out water, Alfred grinned. "Gilber- Woah!" He yelped as he was once again pulled under the water. Alfred was spun around and turned this way and that, completely confusing him as to which way was up and which way was down.

His lungs burned and screamed for air, Alfred's entire body beginning to lock up. The little air he did have in his lungs was knocked out the moment his body slammed into a rock, only for him to roll off and hit another rock.

Just when Alfred thought he was going to pass out from the pain, he felt a hand wrap around his waist as best as it could and tug him upwards. His head broke the surface and Alfred drank in the sweet air, his chest heaving.

"Hold on, Alfred! I'll get us out of here!" Gilbert called, using a great deal of effort to keep the both of them afloat. His head dipped under the surface every now and again, but he'd resurface only a few seconds after.

Alfred sputtered, trying to get his mind into focus again after being tossed around by some rocks. "A-and how do you plan on doing that?!"

To answer his question, Gilbert lifted the pale arm that wasn't holding Alfred and bit down on his wrist. Even though they dipped under, Alfred could blearily see the water in front of him take on a crimson tint, though it was washed away with the water rushing past them.

This time he lifted Gilbert up out of the water, the both of them coughing violently.

"And just what," He paused, coughing up some water, "Will that do?"

"Dragon blood-," Gilbert gasped in air, sputtering as he took in some water too. He spit it out, using his non-bleeding hand to help him and Alfred stay afloat. "It'll attract nymphs."

And thankfully they didn't have to wait long. The next time he and Alfred's head dipped under, Gilbert could see the silver eyes glinting in the blurry light. The eyes moved down, a scaly form following the eyes as the dipped under Alfred and Gilbert.

When they surfaced again, Alfred felt arms wrap around his waist and pull him from Gilbert. Alfred stiffened, about to struggle, but Gilbert grabbed his arm.

"Don't fight! They'll help!" Alfred could see a form peek over Gilbert's shoulder.

It appeared to be a woman with hair made of water and a greenish blue tint to her skin, silver scales scattered about her face. She flashed a sharp, pointy toothed grin at Alfred before tugging Gilbert one way, easily treading through her domain.

Alfred stiffened as he was pulled in the same direction, the former Knight looking over his shoulder at the other nymph pulling him.

She was like her companion, but her water-made hair was shorter, cutting just below her chin. Her skin was also a deeper shade of blue and she had scales on her face that were more of a deep moss green than a silver.

However, before Alfred could look long, he was jostled and pretty much thrown into where the rapids were weakest. It was near the shore, the water reaching about mid-thigh.

Gilbert was currently standing, pressing on his chest and heaving up the remnants of the water in his lungs. Alfred followed suit and didn't stop till he could breathe a little easier. Though his lungs and throat burned, he was still happy to be alive.

"This yours, Dragon?"

Alfred looked up from his hunched over position, his hands on his knees to support himself up. One of the nymphs was standing near Gilbert, holding out the dragon skull that must've gotten jostled from the albino's head when they were being tossed around.

Gilbert nodded, taking it. "Thank you."

The nymph giggled, smiling at Gilbert. "No problem."

Alfred rolled his eyes at the display and at the way the nymph was batting her eyelashes at Gilbert. However, he was drawn out of his internal gag by the nymph who dragged him from the water. She was holding out Alfred's sword and sheath, looking flustered as she glared at him.

"I'm guessing this is yours?"

The blond nodded, taking the offered weapon and giving her a grin. "Yeah, thanks. And thanks for saving us."

Her cheeks turned a darker shade of blue and Alfred assumed she was blushing. She turned her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Whatever. Just try not to drown in our water next time. It's a pain to deal with."

Alfred chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Right, I'll keep that in mind. Sorry about that."

Gilbert grabbed Alfred's upper arm, tugging him towards the treeline. "I'm sorry to cut our encounter short, ladies. But we really need to get back. We have a Capital to raid."

The nymphs nodded, both of them glancing at each other before looking back at the two males.

"It's a brave thing you're doing, going against the Capital. Some of the others are thinking about joining you." The nymph with short hair mumbled.

Gilbert paused, giving them a grin. "Well if they do, they know where to find us. We haven't left and we don't plan to."

Without any words of goodbye, the two nymphs disappeared under the water. Gilbert let his hand drop from Alfred's arm and wadded the rest of the way out of the water. He shook his head, scattering water droplets.

Looking at their surrounds, Gilbert could easily conclude that they were somewhere within the forest. Now all they had to do was get to the Den, figure out a new plan of action, launch the attack on the Capital, kill the King, and then let things settle. It sounded like a trashy plan, but Gilbert still hadn't worked out the last few details yet.

"We'll have to get Francis and the others out of the Capital. Can't risk them getting caught, or worse, brainwashed." Gilbert mumbled.

At the mention of the Capital, Alfred's thoughts finally caught up to him.

"You're the Dragon rider!" Alfred all but shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Gilbert.

Gilbert glanced at him, a brow raised. "Uh-huh, and you're an Ex-Knight. Your point?"

Alfred sputtered, "Wuh-?! You lied to me!"

"I don't recall saying I wasn't a part of the raids. In fact, I don't think I ever gave you any information about them." Gilbert huffed, shaking a leg before trudging towards the treeline.

"But you didn't tell me you were the one leading the raids! Or that you could breathe fire! And speak to Dragons. And what was that about you being a Dragon? Are you really a Dragon?" Alfred began rattling off question after question. Anything that popped into his head, he asked.

Gilbert paused in his walking, holding up a hand to Alfred and stopping his questions. "One question at a time, please. I've got a raging headache and I think I broke a few ribs, maybe."

Alfred then remembered that Gilbert had taken the brunt of the force when they hit the water. "Oh yeah! What the hell where you thinking taking the impact like that?! You could've died!"

"No, you would've died if you'd taken the impact. I, on the other hand, am made of sturdier stuff." Gilbert grunted, once again walking towards the trees.

"What do you mean by that?"

Gilbert took a deep breath, wincing as he sighed. "If we could start walking towards the Den, then I'll tell you whatever you want to know. I'd seriously like to get fixed up before anything becomes permanent, like death."

Alfred jumped, taking a few quick strides in order to catch up to Gilbert. "S-sorry."

"It's fine," Gilbert waved off Alfred's apology, carding a hand through his hair. "So, what's your first question?"

Alfred and Gilbert began walking, Alfred spending a moment to think. Here he was, finally getting answers. Everything that was currently bouncing around in his brain was going to have an answer. He just needed to figure out which one to ask first.

\--

Translations:

"Kos Onik Do Daar, Sot Od." Be Wise about this, White Snow.


	5. Chapter 5

"So you're technically a dragon?"

"Yes, I'm a dragon. Hatched from an egg and all of that stuff."

Alfred paused in climbing over a large root, almost as big as him. "Then how come you aren't all… Scaly?"

Gilbert sighed, sliding off the root and onto the other side. He winched slightly, cradling his side. "It's something one of the three Great Ancients prophesised. Over thirty years ago they predicted the birth of me, Wang Yao, and Kiku."

"Kiku?"

"He's another Dragon that looks like a human. Anyways, the prophecy was just them saying that when three are born that wear the skin of man, they'll bring about the justification of our kind." Gilbert watched Alfred climb over the root, dropping down next to him. Nodding, he turned around and continued on into the woods.

Alfred nodded, trying to process that. "So you can do pretty much anything a Dragon can?"

Gilbert hummed, grimacing to himself. "Yes and no. I have heightened senses, a sturdier body, and I can survive being in extremely hot temperatures like fire and the like, but I can't fly or breathe fire. Not on my own at least."

"B-but you breathed fire earlier!" Alfred pointed over his shoulder behind them, gesturing towards the direction of the cliff they fell from.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath before jumping over a small creek. "But I wasn't alone. I need to be in physical contact with another Dragon in order to be able to breathe fire. I was in contact with my father back there, so I could breathe fire."

"Oooh I get it… Kinda." Alfred jogged after Gilbert, catching up to him so they were side by side. "So was what you were saying true? About the King being a tyrant and trying to build a magical army of Werewolves."

"Not just Werewolves," Gilbert paused, sniffing the air and trying to pick up the smell of his father. The scent was faint, having been blown by the wind. But thankfully Gilbert was able to pick it up and use it as a navigation tool. "The King wants an army of any magical creature he can get his hands on. He messes with their minds and turns them into living, mouldable dolls. You've seen an example of his mind control."

"I have?" Alfred went through his memories of the Capital, trying to pinpoint anyone that seemed like hypnotized drones. The only ones he could think of were the two mages with the dead eyes.

Gilbert nodded, "The two mages," He said, confirming Alfred's thoughts. "I knew them when they first arrived in the Capital. Vladimir Lupei and Feliks Łukasiewicz, both promising mages with so much life in them." He sighed, looking up at the sky and thinking back on the two growing boys with so much personality and emotions. It was so sad to think about what they had become.

"Vladimir was the first of the two to come here. He frequented my shop since it had a lot of potions he needed as a mage. Vladimir helped out with people who had pesky demons and creatures lurking around their homes and land. He used his ensnaring magic and would eventually release them far from the home. The King got wind of a powerful Ensnaring mage and sent him an invitation to join the Mage Guild of the Capital.

"I of course tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. Much like you, he was so excited he was finally going to be making a name for himself. But before he could join, he had to go through some tests. His visits became less and less and he looked worse with each visit. Eventually, the last time I saw him when he was himself, he looked as if he hadn't slept in days. His hair and clothes were a mess, but he looked so happy. He was finally going to join the Guild after the test..." Gilbert sighed, trailing off.

Alfred frowned, letting the words sink in. "He never expected to be made into a mindless drone…"

Gilbert nodded, stepping over a root and continuing on as he spoke. "It was a few months later when Feliks came. He was an Ensnaring mage that came from a farming community. Feliks loved to talk about himself and brag, so I would often hear what he had to say. From his stories, Feliks apparently was born in a town full of mages, but he fell in love with a farmer from the neighbouring town. He eventually moved in with his lover and they had a happy life. Feliks could keep out the beasts with his magic and his lover could provide them with food and shelter.

"However one year the crops wouldn't grow, so they were short on food and money. Feliks came to the Capital looking for temporary work in order to pay for food and warmth for his lover. But again, the King got wind of an Ensnaring mage looking for work and gave him an offer too tantalizing to refuse. It happened all over again and even when I tried to keep Feliks from accepting the work, he brushed me off saying I worried too much. He told me it was only temporary work and that once he had enough money, he'd leave to go back home."

When Gilbert didn't continue speaking, Alfred realized that that was the end of the story. Feliks was brainwashed and he was now an empty shell of his former self. He not only lost who he was, but he lost his lover. Alfred couldn't even imagine the pain Feliks' lover was going through. Not knowing where Feliks was or how he was doing. It was heart-breaking to think about.

Alfred's voice quavered slightly, the tangle of emotions he was feeling muddling into one huge mess. "Is there no way to reverse it? To get back their old selves?"

Gilbert sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll be honest… Even I don't know. We've never managed to nab someone under their control. We don't know if there's a spell or if they've had their minds destroyed over and over until they were empty husks."

Stopping in his tracks, Alfred hummed and rubbed his chin. "So you're saying that if we captured someone under the mind control… We could figure out a way to undo it?"

Gilbert glanced over his shoulder at Alfred, a brow raised in question. "… In theory… One of the elder Dragons could look at them. They know a lot more about magic and spells than I do. I'm still considered a hatchling after all."

Alfred grinned and strolled past Gilbert, radiating determination. "Then we only need to lay a trap and capture them! We could formulate a plan and then figure out a way to get at least one of them alone. This could give us an advantage!"

"Us? You want to be a part of this "traitorous" plan too?"

The blond turned around, smiling a little decrepitly. "Well… Yeah. I mean, what do I have to lose? I can't go back to the Capital, I'm as good as dead. And I can't go back home, not when I know a war is brewing. My village will just have to find a way to survive a little longer without my help. I have faith in them."

Gilbert paused, frowning slightly. He thought long and hard, biting his bottom lip as he mumbled to himself in Dragon tongue. Finally, he looked up at Alfred, a small grin forming.

"Your village is the one cursed by a Dragon, right?" At Alfred's nod, Gilbert continued, his grin getting wider. "I may not know much about magic, but I do know a few things. Like about Dragon curses. If another Dragon passes forgiveness on the cursed thing, the curse is lifted and the Dragon that did the cursing is finally put to rest."

Alfred's eyes widened, "So you're saying that another Dragon can lift the curse on my village?"

Gilbert grinned cheekily, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. "Better than that, I myself can lift the curse! I am a Dragon after all! If you really will help us, then after it's all over, I promise to personally lift the curse off of your Village. Heck, I'll even stay there in order to help scare off the other beasts!"

Once again Alfred surprised Gilbert by enveloping him in a tight, bone crushing hug. Gilbert coughed, his grin straining as he pat Alfred's back. Though his ribs were in pain and the hug was making it worse, he kept quiet and let Alfred gush out his thanks.

Though Gilbert wanted the moment to last, his instincts had to interfere. The first thing he noticed was that the birds had gone quiet. The second thing to pique his senses was the smell of Wolves. Instantly Gilbert was on high alert, his body tensing.

"Alfred, whatever you do, don't draw your sword." He whispered, pulling away from the other and squaring his shoulders.

"Huh?" Alfred was confused for a moment before his own senses kicked in. He froze in place, listening intently for anything out of the ordinary.

After a few more tense seconds of waiting, they were not disappointed. From the shadows of the overgrowth and dense trees came out three huge wolves, if Alfred could call them that. They were roughly the size of a Grizzly bear, their hulking forms quite the intimidation.

Though all of Alfred's instincts told him to draw his weapon, he forced himself to listen to Gilbert. He trusted the albino's judgement, so he was going to stick with it.

The wolf in the middle of the other two took a step forward, staring down his muzzle at Gilbert and Alfred. "I knew I smelt something in my woods that didn't belong. What is that Knight doing here, Dragon?"

The other two wolves pulled their lips back in a snarl, hackles raised. Alfred, a little stunned at the fact that the Wolves could talk, only barely registered the fact that Gilbert moved in front of him.

"He isn't a Knight, he was only being used as bait by the Capital. He no longer belongs to them, but to me. We don't mean to trespass, but there is no other way to get to the Den." Gilbert informed, his entire body tense.

Snorting, the big wolf tilted his head to the side. "And why would they use one of their own as bait?"

"To lure out the Alpha Werewolf." Alfred spoke up from behind Gilbert, getting the attention of those present. Alfred shifted slightly, his hands clenching and unclenching nervously. "I-I only just learned about it myself, but the King was going to use me to lure out the Werewolf pack. I was given the Knight's uniform and the impression that I was a Knight. They figured that they'd use someone who was expendable."

"… And why would they wish to lure me out?" The wolf shared a glance with his two companions, seeming to communicate in the silent way most animals could.

Gilbert glanced at Alfred, nodding his head towards the Wolves. Having Alfred speak about the plan would gain him some form of trust with them. It was important that they didn't see Alfred as a threat, but as an ally.

"Because they wanted to use Ensnaring mages in order to capture as many Werewolves as they could. The King is building something like an army of magical creatures." Alfred explained, looking at Gilbert then back at the Wolf leader.

Thankfully, Gilbert chose then to speak up and offer more information since everything was still fresh and new to Alfred. "The King wanted you eliminated in order to gain access to the creatures in the forest. Without the Werewolves to protect them, the King would have access to the Harpies, Unicorns, everything."

"Foolish!" One of the Wolves, a brown one, snapped. She snarled, stomping a paw on the ground. "Their King has lost his mind if he thinks he can control that many minds!"

"They've found a way!" Gilbert's voice rose slightly, "They've managed to capture the Nagas of the Eastern Swamps, warp the minds of the Dwarves from the Crest Mountain, and even succeeded in infiltrating the homes of the Winter Pixies. Those that managed to escape instantly go to the Dragons, as we are the Guardians of all things Magical in this world. They are not only controlling the minds of beasts, but of witches and wizards too."

The Wolves all stiffened, turning to each other and letting out a few sounds akin to soft whines and barks. They were conversing about the information Gilbert had just revealed.

While they talked, Gilbert took a moment to lean against Alfred and cradle his ribs. They were starting to throb and hurt with every breath Gilbert tried to take. He had no doubt that a few of them were probably broken, but he couldn't bother to try and patch himself up right now. They had to get to the Den and they had to start formulating another plan. Alfred would also need some training and not only that, but he'd have to be updated on the current situation.

"Dragon," The Alpha spoke, catching Gilbert's attention. "If what you're saying is true… Then that means no magical creature is safe. This is a battle for all of us." Glancing at the Wolves on either side of him, he nodded his head before looking at Gilbert. "We'll spread the word, let everyone with ears know of the dangers to come."

Gilbert nodded, standing up straighter and letting his hand drop from his side. "If you can, please also spread the word that on the next full moon, we will have a gathering. Those who wish to join the battle should make their way to the Den."

The Wolf nodded his head, "Understood. Good luck, Dragon. May your wings fly you true."

"And may your paws carry you far." Gilbert dipped his head, nudging Alfred to do the same.

The Wolves dipped their heads in response and then the Alpha turned, letting a loud bark ring around the trees as he began walking towards the way they came.

All around Gilbert and Alfred the forest seemed to shudder. From the shadows more Wolves spilled, weaving in and out of the trees as they all started to follow after their Alpha, only a few sparing glances at Gilbert and Alfred.

The Alpha paused just before he was out of sight, looking over his shoulder at Gilbert. "Dragon, I'd advise you to make sure your "Knight" gets new clothes. He still smells like the Capital, which won't do well for you if you want to gain followers."

Gilbert nodded, "I'll be sure to get that smell off of him."

Snorting, the Wolf flicked his tail and was once again swallowed up by the shadows of the forest, his pack following suit. Alfred and Gilbert stood in silence for a while longer before the albino sighed, shaking his head.

"Well that was exciting…" Glancing up at the sky, he hummed. "We might not make it to the Den before sundown…"

Alfred too glanced at the sky, frowning. "Could be worse."

Gilbert snorted at that, grabbing Alfred's hand and tugging him in the direction they had been going in before the Werewolves had stopped them.

"Right, we could be captured." He said, letting amusement warm his tone.

Alfred snickered with him, giving Gilbert's hand a small squeeze. After a while longer of silence, Alfred spoke up again. "So… What is the plan?"

"Well," Gilbert tilted his head to the side, "We'll be getting ready till the next Full Moon. Training, more raids, etcetera. Then after that, once we know how many will join our army, we train them and flesh out a better plan. Right now we have a few people still working in the Capital. I'll have to hurry up and get back to my shop before things get too suspicious."

Alfred blinked, something dawning on him. "Hey, wait! So when you were missing all those times in the shop, you were actually doing raids? How were you able to do a raid and get back the very next day?"

Gilbert sighed, waving a hand as he spoke. "It's a little complex. See, there are different tribes of Dragons. Their abilities depend on that tribe. My tribe uses fire magic and breaths fire; Kiku's tribe can breathe water, but they're also able to use healing magic. Yao's tribe uses teleportation magic, but because of that they can't breathe an element.

"Yao's tribe is special because of the fact that they can teleport. But the issue is, is that they can only teleport themselves. There's a room in my shop, the one with the Wyvern lock? Yeah, that room leads to a basement of sorts. At the bottom of the basement is a small Dragon from Yao's tribe. The reason why she's there is because there needs to be a Dragon on both sides in order for them to be able to teleport someone not from their tribe."

Alfred nodded his head slowly, digesting the information. "So if she wasn't there, only Yao would be able to teleport himself to and from places?"

"Exactly," Gilbert grunted, dipping low in order to duck under an uprooted tree that was leaning against another. "So it's pretty useful that Yao resembles a human. He can get in and out of situations rather quickly. Though an Oriental man does stand out."

"And an albino one doesn't?" Alfred chuckled.

Gilbert grinned, "Fair point."

The two continued walking in silence, Alfred helping Gilbert climb over roots when the pain in the other man's ribs proved to be too much. They had to stop and rest a couple times, Gilbert breathing hard and holding his sides.

Alfred eventually spoke up again during one of those breaks. "Will I… You know… Be attacked? Since I was working for the Capital and all…"

Gilbert glanced at Alfred, his eyes wide in surprise. Alfred wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the floor. His hands were fidgeting and it was beyond clear that he was nervous. Either that or frightened. Both could work in this situation.

Taking a moment to think on his response, Gilbert hummed. "No, I don't think you will be attacked. After all, there were other people who worked for the Capital, but ended up joining us. Francis is one of them."

Alfred's head snapped up to look at Gilbert, searching his face to see if he was telling the truth. "Really? Who are the others?"

Gilbert hummed, "Let's see… There's Romulus Vargas, Feliciano Vargas, and Lovino Vargas."

At the mention of their names, Alfred's sapphire blue eyes grew incredibly large and he all but ran up to Gilbert, shoving his face into Gilbert's.

"Wait! So you're telling me The Wolf of the East and The Double-blade Twins are a part of the rebellion!?" He was practically bouncing with his excitement. To think, the people he admired most were a part of this! That meant Alfred could possibly meet them, maybe even train with them! It was too good to be true!

Gilbert chuckled, shoving Alfred's face out of his personal space. "Geh, Nust Lost, they are. But as far as I know, they're still making the journey here. We won't see them until they visit the shop. Once they do, we'll take them to the Den for briefing."

Alfred grinned, bouncing a few steps back. "Do you think I'll be able to meet them? I've admired them for a long time now! It's almost like fate that we all are working for the same cause!"

The albino snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the tree. "We'll see. Romulus might even ask to meet you himself. He likes greeting the fresh meat. He might even test your swordsmanship."

"Really? Oh gosh that'd be so cool! I'll have to practice before then! Ooh I hope I impress him! I can't wait to tell Matthew this, he'll never believe it!" Alfred rattled off excitedly, thinking of how his brother would react to hearing that Alfred trained with The Wolf of the East.

Gilbert opened his mouth to answer, but a crashing in the distance cut off any sound that would escape. Gilbert shot up, his body tensing as he lowered his mask, obscuring his face. The wind was blowing away from them, so he couldn't exactly smell what was approaching. It was better to be safe than to be sorry and keep his identity hidden.

Alfred moved closer to Gilbert, his sword drawn as the crashing continued to get closer and closer. In the distance they could see trees toppling and falling over. Whatever was coming was huge and fast, usually a deadly combination.

"What is it?" Alfred hissed.

"Not sure." Gilbert threw back, crouching down slightly. He was defenceless, the only thing he could rely on was his strength, senses, and Alfred's swordsmanship. Hopefully it would be enough for whatever it was that was approaching them.

However the moment the creature made it into view, Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted his mask and relaxed his body, Alfred too lowered his tense stance at the sight of the Dragon. Though it was more of a serpent than the winged beast Alfred was growing familiar to.

The serpent before Alfred was indeed a Dragon, but it resembled the Eastern Dragon's Alfred saw on Yao's outfit. It was a light peach colour, almost a pink when the light hit their scales just right. The frills leading down their back were a light brown, accenting the scales beautifully. There were two antlers protruding from their head that were also deep brown, pink flowers seeming to be growing on the antlers.

"Gilbert!"

Came a voice, though it wasn't from the Dragon. Alfred noticed movement on the Dragon's back and his eyes widened as a form slid from it. A man shorter than both Alfred and Gilbert ran up to the two, stopping in front of Gilbert and practically radiating concern.

The man had short, nicely cut black hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was pale, standing out in stark contrast against the black outfit he was wearing. It resembled a robe of sorts, but it was something Alfred had never seen before, so he couldn't say for sure.

"Gilbert, are you alright? Antonio returned to the Den without you and everyone was worried. Germania sent out search parties in order to find you!" He began poking at Gilbert in various places, sizing the other up for damage.

At Gilbert's wince from having his ribs prodded, the man frowned and began to gently feel about Gilbert's ribs. "Aya, you've broken a few ribs. So you really did hit the water?"

Gilbert gave Alfred a small grin before turning back to the smaller man. "Yeah, but I did it for a good cause. If I didn't, this kid would've died for sure." He said, flicking his head towards Alfred as the blond sheathed his sword.

The man blinked, turning his gaze to Alfred and seeming surprised at his presence. He quickly blushed, flustered at having ignored Alfred's existence while he fretted over Gilbert. Bowing deeply, the man apologized.

"F-forgive me for not noticing you," He said.

Alfred blinked, waving his hands quickly. "Oh! N-no it's alright, I don't mind. Gilbert should be your main focus, he did get injured protecting me after all."

Standing up straight, the man smiled warmly. "It is a relief that he only damaged a few ribs. These can be healed easily. My name is Kiku, by the way."

"Alfred." The blond grinned, excited at being able to meet another Dragon who looked like a human.

Kiku turned his attention back to Gilbert, frowning slightly as he assessed the damage. "I can't heal you out here, you need to be cleaned up before I can."

Gilbert sighed, waving a hand. "Got it. And be sure to give Alfred a check-up too. We did get bounced around by some rapids."

Kiku nodded, turning back to the Dragon. "I will, don't worry. Ah, Mei, could you please call off the search?"

The Dragon took in a deep breath and Gilbert quickly nudged Alfred, "You'd best cover your ears."

Alfred, trusting Gilbert, quickly slapped his hands over his ears just as the Dragon named Mei let out an ear-splitting roar. Even with his hands covering his ears, the sound was enough to make his bones rattle.

Kiku and Gilbert seemed unaffected, the shorter man climbing up on the Serpent's back. Gilbert stopped in front of the beast's face, bring a fist down to gently hit them on the head.

"Also, what the hell was that? Crashing through the forest like a mindless brute, what were you thinking?" He scolded.

The Dragon appeared almost sheepish as they ducked their head, "Sorry…" she mumbled.

It was obvious she was female, now that Alfred heard her voice. Though he was surprised she could speak English, he didn't linger on it too much. It seemed that he was getting used to the unexpected happening.

"But what could you expect me to do? I suddenly catch scent of you and I had to charge!" The large beast turned her head, huffing through her nose.

Gilbert chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Well it is a good thing you found me, I guess. But be sure to apologize to the Forest Spirit later."

The albino glanced at Alfred, giving him an encouraging smile and gesturing him over. With Kiku's offered help, Alfred managed to climb onto the back of the wingless Serpent. Gilbert slid on after him with little aid needed. And, with a mild shake of her body, Mei easily lifted them up and turned, heading back the way she came.

"You're going to love the den." Gilbert mumbled to Alfred, smiling at him. "I guarantee it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Man this is late as heck. :U My excuse is overwatch. I love it too much~ Let's hope I can get my butt in gear and stop taking so long for a chapter~


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's start training~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello hello! Here with an update. I'm gonna try to get into the swing of updating regularly since this is now the only fic i'm working on :D Fingers crossed. Also! Sorry if this chapter is a little weird. That's what happens when you don't touch a story for months, you forget things. I'll have to reread what I wrote in order to remember. Anyways, enjoy the update! Reviews are enjoyed, no matter how short! So this chapter has a heavy dosage of Dovah, but not to worry, translations, as usual, will be at the bottom. But if you don't feel like scrolling all the way to the bottom just to read a translation, then open up a new tab, scroll to the bottom, and then switch between the two c:

"Oof!"

Alfred cried out as the wind was knocked from his lungs the moment his back hit the ground.

There came a disappointed sigh and a face appeared over Alfred, a man with sun kissed skin and deep almond hair staring down at Alfred.

"This isn't good Alfred, this is the seventh time I've managed to flip you!" The man spoke, offering a hand up for the blond to take.

Alfred winced as he was pulled into a standing position. "Sorry Romulus. I'm honestly trying to do my best."

Romulus waited till Alfred was standing before he patted his back in a comforting manner. "Don't worry, lad! My nephews started out just like you did! And now they're fine warriors!"

"Yeah, but you started training them the moment they could walk!" A voice came from behind the two males, getting their attention.

They turned, watching as Gilbert strolled over to them, a grin plastered on his face. Romulus hummed, crossing his arms over his chest and inclining his head towards the Dragon.

"Well you're not wrong," He began, smiling as he added, "But Alfred is already quite skilled. He just needs to work on his technique and form before he can participate in any real battles."

"But you've been training me for almost a month now and I still haven't learned anything of use!" Alfred cried, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Gilbert glanced at Romulus and the two shared a secretive smile. They both looked back at Alfred before Gilbert chuckled, patting Romulus' shoulder.

"I'll take it from here. Might as well get him started."

Alfred's brows creased, a pout forming on his face. "Started on what?"

The albino didn't bother to respond, instead waving his hand for Alfred to follow. The blond complied, nodding his head in farewell to Romulus before following Gilbert back towards the more populated area of the camp.

Alfred had been in the Dragon's Den for almost a month now, Romulus having arrived a week after he did. At first, Alfred had felt both excitement and fear. Here he was, on a vast field populated by many magical creatures, most of them being Dragons of all kinds.

The Den was actually a large mountain at the end of the wide field, the path towards it obscured by the many camps of the other magical creatures. They were all warriors who dedicated their strength and loyalty to the Dragons, each camp willingly prepping for the oncoming war.

Alfred had been in awe when he saw the Den. The mountain had many cave openings high up its rocky face where Dragons flew in and out of. On the ground floor was one big opening that led into a wide cavern populated by Dragons and other creatures that were simply laying around and chatting. The cavern had tunnels that branched into more paths and, from what Gilbert said, wound through the entire mountain, some paths even leading underground. There was an entire system that the Dragons were using, something that blew Alfred's mind.

On occasion Gilbert would leave the Den and return to the Capital. Those days that Gilbert left, he would be sure to tell Alfred before disappearing into the deeper workings of the Den. At first he was worried about leaving Alfred alone, but Antonio offered to help train and keep an eye on Alfred.

When Romulus and his nephews arrived, Alfred was completely nervous and ecstatic to meet them. Romulus and one of his nephews, Feliciano, were more than friendly to him. However the other nephew, Lovino, was quite the prickly character. At first Alfred assumed that Lovino hated him, but Gilbert told him not to take it personally and that Lovino was generally like that with everyone.

Romulus didn't need much convincing to help train Alfred and, after the first few days, Alfred got used to being trained by a legend. He was still beyond giddy, but not overly so that he'd make mistakes. But still, that didn't hide the fact that this training was, to put it bluntly, pointless.

For the past few weeks Romulus had done nothing but teach Alfred how to keep his balance. At first he assumed it was to help him with his sword fighting, but by the second week of nonstop balance training with no swords, Alfred was sceptical. All day for hours on end, balance training. Alfred was growing sick of it! Why did he need so much focus on balance?

"Father!" Gilbert yelled, snapping Alfred from his thoughts.

Alfred gulped slightly, watching as the massive green head turned to look at them. Gilbert's father, who he learned was named Germania, intimidated Alfred beyond belief. He would stare at Alfred and sometimes would emit a low growl which always managed to make Alfred internally panic. He'd be crazy to say that a huge Dragon didn't intimidate him.

Germania was currently lying out on a large cropping of rock, soaking up the sun's rays as his other son laid next to him. The other Dragon was smaller and slimmer than his father, but still just as well-built. His scales were a deeper, earthier green than Germania's and, not only that, but the placing of horns and frills were a little different, only a few in the same place.

Alfred had been surprised when he learned that Gilbert had a brother. Even more surprised when he learned that the large beast was Gilbert's younger brother. He had politely introduced himself as Ludwig and, surprisingly, was easier to talk to than Germania. Ludwig still had that intimidating air that commanded attention, but it wasn't to an overbearing degree.

"Gilbert," Germania's deep voice rumbled, the dragon stretching out a wing and popping it. "Geh dii kul?"

Ludwig grunted, lifting his head off of where it was lying on Germania's back. The smaller Wyvern yawned, moving to sit up as Gilbert climbed up the rock. The albino pat Ludwig's face as he was nuzzled, grinning.

"I wanna start Alfred's flying training now!"

Alfred was caught off-guard by the statement, "My what-now?!"

Germania let out an amused rumble at Alfred's exclamation, turning his head to regard the human.

"There is a reason as to why you have been learning balance, Yuvon Krein." Germania pulled himself up into a standing position, parting his jaws in a loud yawn. "Alright. We shall start simple, let us move to a more spacious opening."

Ludwig followed Germania while Gilbert slid back down to stand with Alfred, grinning as he led the blond after the two Wyverns. Alfred frowned slightly, not understanding what Germania called him. It was something that the other Dragons here had been calling him, Germania being the first to do it. Even Gilbert had occasionally slipped up and called him it once or twice. Alfred couldn't figure out what it meant, he didn't speak Dragon after all.

"Hey, Gil?" It was better to ask now than to never know, right?

"Hm?" Gilbert glanced at him, the albino's eyes dancing with excitement. He was beyond ready to start Alfred's flying training. If he was to join their rebellion, he'd need to know how to ride a Dragon properly or he'd die before they even invaded the Capital.

The humans that were a part of their rebellion all had to learn how to fly, it was something Gilbert had thought up and planned to use to the fullest. Each human was paired up with a Dragon they'd go into battle with, a team of sorts. They would be in charge of keeping an eye on each other and, in the long run, hopefully both would come out ok.

"I've been wondering this for a while now, but why does everyone call me that?" Alfred asked, pulling Gilbert from his thoughts.

"Call you what?"

Alfred huffed through his nose, hoping he wasn't butchering the name when he said it, "You know, Yuvon Krein? What does it even mean?"

Gilbert's mouth opened in an "o" shape as understanding dawned on him. The male laughed, patting Alfred on the back and grinning at him. "Ah, don't worry about it. It's just your Dragon name my dad decided to give you."

At this, Alfred paused, eyes widening at the information. "What? My Dragon name?"

Nodding his head, Gilbert hummed and tilted his head to the side. "Yep. If my Father finds you worthy enough, he'll give you a name all the Dragons will know you by. It's like you're an honorary member of the clan and all. I have one, though it was given to me at birth. Romulus, Francis, and the others all have one too."

"Really?" Alfred was in awe, he had no clue that's what they were calling him. It was a relief to know they weren't making fun of him. But then again… What did Yuvon Krein mean anyways?

When Alfred voiced this question, Gilbert gave him a gentle smile. "Your name means Golden Sun. Mine is Sot Od, which means White Snow. Romulus is called Grohiik, which means wolf, and his nephews are called Vulon and Sul. Feliciano is Sul, which is day, and Lovino is Vulon, which is night."

The blond nodded slowly, digesting the information. So he was being called "Golden Sun". Wonder how they came up with that name… He thought to himself, smirking slightly in amusement. Though if he thought about it, the names for the others did seem to fit. White Snow was rather perfect for Gilbert, if Alfred considered it properly.

"What about Antonio and Francis?"

Gilbert chuckled, "Antonio's Dragon name is Vahzah Miiraad, which is True Path. Father thought it fit him since he's got strong morals on what's right and what's wrong."

Alfred couldn't hide the grin forming on his face, nodding in earnest. "Yeah, that sounds like him. And Francis?"

"Hahdrim Rot, Mindful Words. Francis usually knows what to say in the right situations. When he first met my Father, he tried to use words that wouldn't offend him. It was annoying at first because it seemed like Francis was walking on eggshells and being a huge kiss ass. So my dad gave him that name in a way of teasing him." Gilbert grinned at the memory of Francis' offended face when Gilbert explained his name meaning. Though now Francis wore his name proudly, even with the occasional teasing.

This caused Alfred to laugh, slowly forming a new opinion on Gilbert's father. He was extremely intimidating, yeah, but maybe that wasn't all it. He found Alfred worthy enough to give him a Dragon name, something he obviously puts a lot of thought into. And not only that, but he gave Francis a name in order to poke fun at him. Maybe Germania's actually a pretty nice guy… Er… Dragon. Alfred thought, finding himself smiling slightly. Maybe he should get to know Germania better and not be so quick to judge.

"Pick up the pace, hatchlings! Your feet are too slow!"

Germania's loud bellow caused both Alfred and Gilbert to jump, the two scurrying to shorten the wide distance between them and the two Dragons.

"Not our fault! We have shorter legs!" Gilbert whined when they made it to them.

Germania rolled his eyes, his scales rippling as he shook his body out. "First lesson," He said, choosing not to respond to Gilbert and instead start his teachings. "Swiftly and quickly climbing aboard our backs. You must be fast about it or you will find yourself falling off during a quick getaway."

The elder Wyvern nodded to Ludwig, flicking his head towards Alfred. Ludwig moved closer to Alfred, offering him a small smile.

"You will train with Ludwig on this. Sot Od! Show how it is done." Germania ordered, watching as Gilbert nodded, sprinting towards Germania and jumping up.

Alfred watched in rapt attention as Gilbert gracefully swung himself onto Germania's back with little-to-no effort. In a matter of seconds he was sitting on the large beast's back and grinning down at Alfred.

"The key is figuring out where to place your feet. You can kind of feel the groove of each scale. Use that as a foot hold." Gilbert instructed.

Alfred nodded, taking a deep breath before hesitantly putting his hands on Ludwig's flank. Feeling the cool scales on the palm of his hands was an odd feeling, but one Alfred quickly got used to. It took him longer than he'd like to pull himself up onto Ludwig's back, his breath a little short. How on earth did Gilbert climb up Germania's back so quickly like it was nothing? And Germania was bigger than Ludwig!

"Dreh nii ko." Germania rumbled.

Gilbert gave Alfred a small smile at his confused look, "He wants you to do it again. Just till you've got the hang of it and move faster than a hatchling."

Alfred nodded stiffly, sliding from Ludwig's back. It was easier going down than it was going up, in Alfred's opinion. Gilbert moved over to him, taking Alfred's hands and placing them on Ludwig's side.

"Here's the best place to start for a grip. Once you get used to it, you'll be able to grip generally anywhere. But for now, start here. When we're done with this, we'll move on to the really fun part." Gilbert gave Alfred an encouraging smile before moving back to Germania, leaning against the Wyvern as Alfred began his training.

Up and down, up and down, over and over until he managed to get it fast enough to Germania's liking. Alfred had been growing frustrated, seeming to never get it up to par with how Germania wanted it. But Gilbert managed to keep him calm, telling him words of encouragement along with things like "he's only pushing you so you get better. How fast you're able to climb on a Dragon can mean life or death". Needless to say, that did well in boosting up Alfred's determination.

Finally, after the hundredth or so time of Alfred scurrying up Ludwig's back, Germania gave a nod and a deep rumble of approval. Alfred had flopped backwards at that, resting on Ludwig's back with a breathless laugh.

"About time." He huffed, covering his eyes with an arm.

The Wyverns all chuckled, watching the blond with mirth in their eyes. Gilbert snickered, swinging himself up to sit on Ludwig's back with Alfred.

"So, you done for today or do you want to start the real fun?"

"Oh? And what could be more fun than this?" Alfred asked sarcastically.

Gilbert gave him a playful shove, grinning when Alfred lifted his hand to look at him. "Flying, of course. Why else do you think you've been learning how to balance?"

"Sot Od," Germania said, walking past Ludwig, "If he is tired, don't push him to fly."

Gilbert leapt easily from Ludwig's back to his father's, grinning at Alfred when the blond scrambled to a sitting position.

"N-no! I'm not tired! I seriously wanna fly!"

"Then the lesson begins!" Gilbert declared, standing up on Germania's back and pointing at Alfred. "First lesson, no saddles! This isn't like riding a horse or a mule or any of that! These are Dragons, proud beasts that don't want to be treated like a pack mule. During take-off, you find a scale or horn to hold on to and you grip that sucker!"

Alfred nodded, gripping one of the smaller horns jutting down Ludwig's long, scaly neck. "And what if I fall off?"

Gilbert paused, thinking about that question. He snorted, shrugging, "Then don't tense up, it'll hurt less when you hit the ground."

Ignoring Alfred's squawk of fear, Germania breathed out some smoke from his nose before shaking his back slightly, causing Gilbert to stumble a bit.

"Enough teasing, Sot Od," To Alfred, he said, "We will take it slow. But you had better be quick on figuring out how to keep your hold, least you do fall. But do not worry, if you fall in the air, we will catch you."

Alfred hesitated before nodding, his grip on the horn tightening. Taking that as his sign to continue, Germania spread his wings, popping a few of the joints before he gave a deep rumble in his throat. Alfred tensed when Ludwig did the same under him, the smaller Wyvern being deliberate in how slowly he was spreading his wings.

Gilbert and Germania were the first to take off, the two of them not needing to go slow. Alfred watched in awe as, with only one flap, Germania was already many feet in the air. Gilbert kept his grip easily, not even really sitting on Germania's back but rather keeping his hold while also squatting a bit. When they were high up, only then did Germania stop and hovered in the air, looking down at the both of them.

Ludwig shifted, turning his head to regard Alfred. "Are you ready?"

Alfred licked his lips, tearing his eyes from the flying duo above and looking into Ludwig's eyes. He grinned, the excitement finally sparking in his systems and making him giddy beyond belief. This was his second time flying, but he never really did get to enjoy his first time. So he was going to enjoy every minute of this.

"Hell yeah! Let's do this!"

The Wyvern chuckled, facing forward as his muscles began to tense. "Alright. Hold on."

And with that, Ludwig flapped his wings and they slowly began to lift into the air. Ludwig wasn't putting as much strength into flapping his wings, therefore they climbed up into the air at a slower rate than Germania rocketing up into the sky. It was a gesture Alfred appreciated, though he someday hoped he'd be able to launch into the sky like Germania and Gilbert did.

Alfred glanced over his shoulder at the retreating ground, letting out a giddy laugh. By the time he and Ludwig were level with Germania and Gilbert, Alfred was grinning so much his face hurt. He couldn't describe how he was feeling, but it was exhilarating. The wind was blowing through his hair unhindered and the air smelt fresh, pure, and almost sweet in a way. Alfred felt himself being reinvigorated, energy pumping throughout his blood with each deep lungful of air.

"How do you like it so far?" Gilbert asked, his voice carrying on the wind.

"This is amazing!" Alfred cried, and honestly, it was. This was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Forget the feeling when he became a Soldier, this was by far the best. Nothing could compare to this!

Gilbert grinned, "Alright! We're just gonna try cruising for a bit. After that we'll go faster. Those will be the only things done today, though tomorrow we're going to practice keeping balance while maneuvering around and under obstacles. Got it?"

His blond companion nodded, a determined look taking a hold of his face. "Bring it on!"  
\---

Alfred's heart was pounding as he hid in the shadows of the shallow cave, his back pressed up close to Ludwig's scaly hide. The Wyvern was hunched in on himself, eyes darting around the open sky near the entrance.

"Zu'u dreh ni keefum niin." Ludwig whispered softly, his head lowered so it was almost levelled with Alfred.

The blond nodded, taking a slow step forward, "Hon ol pruzah…"

As the blond took another hesitant step, Ludwig hissed for him to be careful. Alfred nodded before taking a deep breath and holding it as he poked his head out from the shallow cave. Looking left and right, Alfred could see nothing but open sky.

He let out the breath he had been holding, shoulders slumping. "I think we lost them."

Ludwig nodded, though his eyes remained suspicious as Alfred made his way back over to him. Hoisting himself up onto the base of the Wyvern's neck, he pat the scaly skin in a comforting manner.

"Come on, we're so close! If we can just haul ass, we'll make it to the Den before they can catch us." Though his voice held much enthusiasm, Alfred was smart enough to keep it low.

Ludwig turned his head, glancing at Alfred wearily. "But we do not know where they are. Should we really risk flying in blind?"

Alfred flashed him a confident grin, "Come on! You're a fast flier, I know we can do it! Ov zu'u!"

This got the Wyvern to smile, a sigh leaving him as he moved towards the entrance, hooked wings clinging to the edge as his body tensed.

"Alright, zu'u ov hi."

And with that, Ludwig pushed off. He flapped his wings, keeping them in the air as they hovered by the entrance of the cave. Their senses were on high alert in order to try and spot their foe. Then, just as Ludwig was about to start moving away from the entrance, a cry from above caught their attention.

"Mu ehtaha hi!"

Their heads snapped up and their eyes widened at the sight of the elder Wyvern and rider high up on the mountain above them. The large beast was clinging to the rocky wall, his forked tongue sliding out of his mouth like a snake tasting the air. From his back sprung the rider, literally jumping off of him and plummeting towards Alfred and Ludwig.

"Jer!" Alfred yelled instinctually, Ludwig dodging right, his wings curling up close to his body so the rider wouldn't be able to land on it.

All three of them fell, Ludwig and Alfred falling faster since their collective mass weighed more. Because of that, they managed to dodge the other rider. Ludwig unfurled his wings, giving one powerful flap before he and Alfred were speeding away from the approaching Wyvern.

The larger beast that had been holding onto the rocky wall launched off, speeding towards its fallen rider before it caught them with its hind legs. The rider skilfully clambered up the scaly hide even as the Wyvern continued flying after the other two.

"In the clouds, we'll lose them!" Alfred yelled, the pace of his heart picking up with the excitement.

Ludwig gave a growl of agreement, arching up before they burst through the denser clouds, evening out and continuing their fast pace. They continued flying, Alfred looking behind them and above them, having learned from their most recent encounter.

"Smell them?" Alfred called over the rushing wind.

"Nid, I can't."

Alfred turned back around so he was sitting facing forward, "Well we couldn't have just lost them. They wouldn't give up that easily. We should be prepa- ah! Look out!"

At Alfred's cry, Ludwig snapped his head sideways just as they were slammed into by the other Wyvern. Alfred gasped audibly as the rider once again launched himself off his beast's back, slamming into Alfred and causing the both of them to topple over, falling off of Ludwig's back and into the empty air.

"What the fuck?!" Alfred screamed as they fell, glaring daggers at the white haired rider cackling up a storm, not at all put-off by the fact they were falling at an increasing rate. "Gilbert! Who the hell just jumps from a Dragon's back?! Mid-air, might I add!"

Gilbert grinned at Alfred, his eyes dancing with mirth as he reached out, grasping the other's hands so they wouldn't drift apart.

"It's how you play the game, Al." He cackled at the scowl Alfred threw at him.

"This is tag! Not 'Try-and-see-who-hits-the-ground-first'!" He snapped.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, "You're being over dramatic. We won't die, Ludwig and Germania will catch us."

As if on cue, they heard the flapping of wings that signalled the approaching Wyverns. Gilbert paused, grinning at Alfred as another fit of giggles left him. Alfred huffed, but even he couldn't prevent himself from laughing along with Gilbert, both of their faces flushed red from the laughing.

Alfred had been at the den for over 3 months and during that time he trained to ride Dragons and how to speak their language. Apparently most of the other humans in their little brigade knew how to speak a good portion of Dragon. Alfred had eagerly asked Gilbert to teach him, wanting more than anything to be able to speak something not many humans knew. Alfred was a fast learner and the other Dragons helped him speak, sometimes correcting his pronunciation and word order when needed.

Still, despite all his training, Alfred had yet to join Gilbert on a raid. Alfred had raised this complaint to Gilbert and the albino admitted that maybe Alfred was ready to join them. So, it was decided that tonight Alfred would partake in his first raid.

Thanks to Romulus', they learned that he and one of the Ensnaring mages would be taking a small army to help out an outpost that reported Dragon sightings. This was just the opportunity they were waiting for. Only one Ensnaring mage was accompanying them, meaning they were the perfect candidate to capture and possibly try and "fix".

Today's exercise had been a light game of "tag"; just something to loosen their muscles and test their teamwork. And, after this, they'd go back to the den before Gilbert ran through the plan. Then Wang Yao would teleport them to the proper location and they'd take it from there.

Alfred was pulled from his thoughts, literally, when he felt a strong hind leg wrap around his lower half. Alfred and Gilbert lurched as they were hoisted up, Gilbert dangling from Alfred's grip.

"Sot od." Germania spoke, the Wyvern flying below Ludwig.

Gilbert looked down before he nodded, letting go of his grip on Alfred. Trusting the elder Wyvern to catch the other, Alfred also let go. The albino landed on Germania's back in a crouch, laughing as the Wyvern flapped his wings, pulling them up so they were side-by-side with Ludwig and Alfred.

"Shall we head back to the den to rest up before the raid?" Gilbert asked, though he already knew the answer.

Ludwig's grip around Alfred loosened, signalling for him to start climbing. Alfred, catching the hint, began skilfully climbing his way up Ludwig's leg and towards his back, settling down once he reached his destination.

Letting out a grunt of agreement, Germania took the lead and dipped down, heading out of the clouded skies and closer towards the ground so they could see where they were going.

Once they reached the den, all four of them ate a meal and headed off for a nap. Though, instead of sleeping, Gilbert and Alfred sharpened their weapons and donned on their armour.

Around a month and a half ago, as Gilbert began teaching Alfred how to speak Dragon, they also made him armour to match Gilbert and the other riders. He had the leathery hide, his being a deep shade of blue that did well to blend in with the shadows. Alfred also got a skull mask to obscure his face.

He learned that this was a hatchling skull, though not of a dead hatchling. There was a species of Dragon that, as they grew, shed their skin and their smaller bones. Those bones are usually replaced by new bones after a few hours, but how they shed their bones is a little gruesome. Gilbert refrained from showing Alfred how it happens, least he puke up his breakfast.

His skull mask had a horn on the bridge of the nose and two large horns curling up on the top of the head, their tips almost meeting in the center. Adorning the skull were an assortment of dark coloured feathers. He also had some silver bracelets, standing out against the sleek black horns.

All in all, Alfred looked like one of the Dragon warriors participating on the raids. When Alfred looked down at himself in the small little pond they were sitting near, he could feel his heart pick up speed. A grin pulled at his mouth and he felt extremely giddy.

If only Matthew could see me know… What would his brother think? Alfred went to the Capital to become a Knight, but in the end he joined the rebels and was now a Dragon Rider. It was a big leap from loyalist to revolutionist, but a leap Alfred didn't regret making.

Sighing, Alfred pushed up the mask a bit, frowning down at his reflection as he was lost in thought. Matt's probably worried about me… I haven't sent a letter in almost four months.

"Alfred?"

The blond was pulled from his brooding by Gilbert's hand on his shoulder. He glanced up, blue eyes locking with red. Gilbert was looking at him with a worried expressions, slim brows creased.

"You ok?" He asked, his concern showing in his voice.

Alfred's smile was sheepish and he sighed, rubbing his neck and tilting his head to the side. "Kinda… I guess I'm just worried about my brother. It's been a while since I've sent him a letter. He's probably worried about me."

Understanding dawned on the albino and he nodded slowly, his hand falling back to his side. "Ah, I see. If he's worried enough, he might come to the Capital asking about you…" At Alfred's nod, Gilbert frowned in thought. "That could be a problem. Especially with how close we're getting to launching the attack…"

This caused Alfred to grimace, not at all liking the image of his brother being caught in the battle. He hesitated, an idea forming after a split second of thought.

"Um, Gilbert? Do you think maybe we could… Visit my brother? And my village? Just to make sure it's safe! I'm just really worried about them and I want them to know I'm ok." Alfred quickly rushed out.

Gilbert blinked at him before he smiled slightly, chuckling. "I guess that would be fine… But it will have to wait after the raid. I'll talk to my father about it, but I can't promise he'll agree."

The hopeful look Gilbert got made his heart clench, wanting nothing more than to promise that Alfred would definitely be able to visit his family. But of course his father had to dash those hopes, even if it was in the best interests.

"Nid. Nii los tahrodiis. Mu shilta ov Yuvon Krein, nuz svaboi do ok sahsun?" Germania said as Gilbert voiced his question while they prepared to be teleported to their destination.

"Bormah, Yuvon Krein ov niin. Zu'u ov naan rok ov." Gilbert argued, puffing out his cheeks and placing his hands on his hips.

Alfred and Ludwig were a little ways away, Ludwig keeping Alfred distracted while Germania and Gilbert had their conversation. Though, even if Ludwig didn't keep Alfred distracted, Gilbert and Germania were speaking too fast for him to understand. Alfred may have some skill in speaking Dragon, but he wasn't an expert enough to be able to understand everything when it was spoken at a fast pace.

Germania snorted at Gilbert's response, shaking his head. "Daar fen itrewic hi kriaan gein sul."

Gilbert huffed, "Bromah- " He was cut off by Germania's warning growl.

"Enough, Sot Od. Dii anyui los nahil."

The albino quieted down at his father's stern tone, mumbling out an apology. Though he knew why his father was telling him no, that didn't mean Gilbert was happy about it. Alfred was missing his family, they probably thought he was dead! So what of the danger going into unknown territory? That never stopped Gilbert before! And if Germania was truly worried about Gilbert being attacked, he could always bring Aujir Viing, the little Wyvern would enjoy being outside rather than cooped up in Gilbert's shop, remaining as a lock all day.

With that little idea stewing in his brain, Gilbert's resolve to keep to his father's wishes began to crumble. He'd take Alfred to go see his family, it was the least he could do. After all, he kind of forced Alfred to join the rebellion.

"Ready to go?" Came a voice, catching the attention of the four going on the raid.

Wang Yao stood before them, smiling in his "all knowing" way, a sleeve barely covering his mouth. "It would be best to leave now while you still have enough daylight. Alfred isn't used to fighting at night, after all. And you do plan on capturing the mage, right?"

Ludwig nodded, him and Alfred moving closer to Germania and Gilbert. "Yao is right."

Letting out a grunt of agreement, Gilbert turned his attention to Alfred and Ludwig, pointing at them. "Alright, here's the plan then. You and Ludwig will stay up in the clouds, hidden, till we give the signal. The signal is going to be father's roar. When you hear that, make your appearance known. You two will be in charge of distracting the guards along with father.

"I will be making my way to the meeting point Romulus is at. He should've knocked the mage out by then, so all I need to do is grab him and book it. You understand?" Gilbert looked between the two, smiling when he received a nod.

"Ok! We're ready to be teleported!" Gilbert declared, swinging himself up onto Germania's back.

Alfred followed suit, climbing onto Ludwig's back before pulling his mask down. His hand moved to rest on the hilt of his new sword, nestled safely in its beautiful scabbard. Both items were gifts from Romulus, something to commemorate his first raid.

Standing before them, Yao pulled up his sleeves before holding out his hands, palms facing the four in front of him. "Alright. Leon is on the other side waiting for you four. Remember where he's hiding because he'll teleport you back."

Gilbert pulled his mask down, not bothering to say anything since he knew the drill. Taking the silence as a sign to continue, Yao nodded his head before looking at Alfred, smiling slightly.

"Your first time teleporting may be a bit… upsetting for your stomach. Please try to keep everything down if you suddenly feel the need to puke." His tone was light, clearly amused.

Turning his head forward again, Yao closed his eyes and concentrated. After a while of silence, his body tensed slightly. "Leon is ready."

"Let's do it then!" Alfred grinned beneath his mask, the excitement coursing through his veins lighting a fire in his soul.

His enthusiasm was well received, Ludwig and Germania giving their growls of approval as they waited for Yao to teleport them. It seemed like nothing was happening for a moment, but then beneath them, a circle of bright blue began to form.

It seemed to draw itself, forming around the four of them before more designs began to branch off from the finished circle. The designs remained on the inside, never straying out from the circle's perimeter until a very complex pattern was formed.

Alfred watched in awe as the symbol beneath them glowed and they began to sink down into it. It was almost like watching your own body get swallowed up by quick sand. The world got taller around you because you continued to go down with no signs of stopping. Alfred unconsciously held his breath and closed his eyes tight as he sunk deeper and deeper.

There was a cold feeling shooting up Alfred's spine that caused him to violently shiver. His stomach dropped and Alfred noted it as the feeling of falling, though a little more intense. But, after that, the air was quiet. There was no faint buzz of life or chatter from the camp. There was only the musty smell in the air and a faint chill that made Alfred's skin pricked.

He dared to peek one eye open, glancing around his environment with awe. They were in a dreary looking dark forest filled to the brim with weeping willows. It was the true essence of "frightful" and reminded Alfred of all those ghost stories his mother would tell him in order to make him behave and not leave the house at night.

Alfred looked to his left where Germania and Gilbert were, the latter staring at Alfred. Gilbert lifted his mask, casting a reassuring smile towards Alfred. He mouthed the words "be careful" before putting his mask back into place and turning his attention towards the Eastern Dragon that pulled itself from hiding.

Even though it was still barely sunset, Alfred had trouble making out the Dragon's appearance. He just knew it had eyes that glowed in the shadows it stuck to.

"Leon," Gilbert said as a form of greeting, "You'll be staying here, correct?"

The Dragon shook his head, turning to look at something behind the others. They all turned, following Leon's gaze. Leon was staring at an extremely tall willow that towered over the other trees, standing out amongst the treeline. It was quite the ways off, but even still they all could tell it was probably massive. One could also probably pinpoint it from the skies, which would help once they were fleeing.

"Understood. Stay out of sight, hatchling."

Leon nodded to them before slinking away, the Dragon's dark scales disappearing into the shadows. Germania and Ludwig didn't wait long before they spread their wings. The moment Alfred felt Ludwig's muscles tense, he instinctually grabbed the familiar horn he always held during take-off. In a heartbeat they launched from the ground and into the air, only flapping their wings a few times before they were flying towards the blotchy speck in the distance which was no doubt the camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Geh dii kul?" Yes my son?   
> "Dreh nii ko." Do it over   
> "Zu'u dreh ni keefum niin." I do not smell them  
> "Hon ol pruzah…" Hearing as well  
> "Ov zu'u!" Trust me  
> "zu'u ov hi." I trust you  
> "Mu ehtaha hi!" We found you!  
> "Jer!" East  
> "Nid. Nii los tahrodiis. Mu shilta ov Yuvon Krein, nuz svaboi do ok sahsun?" No. It is dangerous. We can trust Golden Sun, but what about his village?  
> "Bormah, Yuvon Krein ov niin. Zu'u ov naan rok ov." Father, Golden Sun trusts them. I trust anyone he trusts.  
> "Daar fen itrewic hi kriaan gein sul." That will get you killed one day.   
> "Dii anyui los nahil." My answer is final.  
> "Aujir Viing" Bronze wing


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hiyo! This chapter is extremely short, but for good reason. Next chapter will pick up back on its usual lengths. Hopefully. Also, tons of thanks to my new editor Rummy! They're a huge help on catching things I don't see ;u; and pointing out text that should be removed. Thanks a bunch!

They were right above the camp, the humans below unaware of the two beasts and their riders hovering just above the thick cloud line. The night looked as if it was ready to storm, thunder rumbling ominously as they waited with baited breath. Gilbert and Germania only spared a glance at Alfred and Ludwig before they nodded.

"Remember, speak Dragon when you leave the clouds!" Gilbert called.

Germania didn't wait for Alfred to respond. He pulled his right wing into his form and the two dipped, plummeting from the cloud line and towards the camp.

Alfred watched as the clouds lit up in a pinkish red, reflecting the fire Germania and possibly Gilbert were breathing.

From the plan Alfred was told, Germania and Gilbert were to use their flames to cause a panic, not to outright kill or harm anyone. They'd set flames to areas near the camp, only enough to rile them up.

Alfred nodded approval at the scene, lifting his mask slightly as to get a better view of the illuminated clouds below them. "Do you think we'll get the mage without any problems?"

Ludwig hummed, tilting his head to the side as he flapped his wings, lifting him up higher slightly. "Hard to say… The mage should be knocked out. So long as their arms are bound and they have a gag, we shouldn't have to worry about them casting spells."

The two fell into a silence after Alfred gave a grunt of understanding. Feeling that worrying feeling gnawing on his heart, Alfred let out a small sigh.

"Do you- I mean- will Gilbert…?" Alfred was at a loss for how to word his question.

Ludwig gave a soft chuckle, twisting his neck to look at Alfred and smile. "You do not need to worry so much about my brother. He'll be fine. Just worry about yourself, do not stray too far from my side if we land on the ground."

Alfred nodded, patting Ludwig's scaly hide with one hand. "Got it. Just make sure not to hit me with your tail on accident."

The two shared a laugh that helped dissipate some of the tension from Alfred. He rolled his shoulder, taking a deep breath as he readied himself for the approaching fight. It didn't take long, for not a second later they heard a very distinct roar rip through the air.

"Let's go." Ludwig's voice took on a grim tone, his scaly expression now serious.

"Mmm." Alfred grunted, pulling his mask down and tensing his body.

Ludwig pulled his wings closer to his body and dipped forward, plummeting through the air. He parted his jaws, growling as smoke began to seep out from his jaws. Alfred instantly knew what the Wyvern was planning.

Alfred pressed his body closer to Ludwig, not at all bothered by the smoke he would sometimes breath in. Alfred was pretty much used to the light ashy smell. Dragon fire wasn't like normal fire, but a fire made from the central core of a Dragon's magical soul. So it generally had the same effect as breathing in water mist, not harmful to the lungs at all. Gilbert had said that it was a common mistake that humans thought Dragon smoke was the same as normal smoke.

A roar erupted from Ludwig's throat just as he spread his wings, halting their drop, instead hovering in the air above the camp. Alfred watched as the soldiers scrambling about turned to look at the arrival of another Wyvern. The blond ignored them, snapping his attention to Germania and Gilbert who were swooping down, setting grass and the like on fire before pulling up out of harm's way.

Soldiers and a few Knights were throwing spears or simply trying to stab at the winged-beast when it got close enough, but they barely even grazed the flying Dragon. However, the next time Germania dipped down, Gilbert launched from his back and onto the grass, rolling before he took off towards the meeting point.

This was it, now they had to distract everyone from Gilbert! Alfred pulled out his sword, raising it skyward as he shouted distinctly against the commotion under-wing.

"Fah fin Dov!"

Ludwig roared his agreement, swooping down and landing on the ground. The scales around his neck flared as he pulled his head back, hissing at the surrounding Soldiers before smoke poured from his jaws again. Someone screamed "look out" just before Ludwig released the building flame, aiming above the Soldiers. He didn't want to outright kill them, but instead scare them, which he did. A few Soldiers fell back, afraid they'd get burnt from the bright orange flames.

Ludwig didn't stand there for long, he was only getting their attention that there were now two Wyverns. He launched off the ground, flapping once before he and Alfred moved away from the gathering Soldiers. They would stick close to the ground while Germania continued to reign terror in the skies, lighting fires here and there and making sure no one noticed Gilbert was meeting up with one of their Knights.

Twisting his form and using his tail to knock a few Soldiers from behind him, Ludwig roared at the ones in front of him. Alfred was already standing, running down Ludwig's back before jumping off and into the crowd of Soldiers. He slammed into one Soldier, knocking them both to the ground only for Alfred to roll away, springing back onto his feet.

He lifted his sword just in time to clash with another, shoving the Soldier back, then snapping his leg out, kicking the man in the gut. As Alfred danced around, blocking blows and returning his own, he was silently glad the Dragon skull stayed put on his head. Gilbert wasn't kidding when he said they're hard to jostle off.

Alfred barely missed being stabbed, his body twisting to avoid the sword. He didn't have to worry about regaining his footing however, since Ludwig's tail smacked the Soldier into a few others, toppling them. Alfred bit back a laugh as he jumped onto his tail, skillfully scrambling up Ludwig's back with one hand.

"Yuvon Krein, ni saan morah." Ludwig growled, launching into the air again, Alfred holding on desperately from the unexpected take-off.

"K-krosis!" Alfred called, pulling himself up to his normal perch as Ludwig flew to a different spot.

This time Ludwig stayed in the air as he set fire to more patches of grass in the clearing. The flames licked at the tents, quickly consuming them in fire as well.

Ludwig twisted his body, flying past Germania before turning around, soaring back towards the other side of the camp. The two of them were able to keep the Soldiers and Knights distracted enough for Gilbert to meet with Romulus. The albino encountering few problems along the way, sneaking well enough to only be spotted by a few Soldiers. He easily disposed of them, not waiting to be found again as he continued on.

Romulus disappeared into the shadows of the burning camp, intending to disappear from the fighting till it was over. His story would be that one of the riders distracted him before the other knocked him out, the two escaping with the captive mage.

Once he had the mage over his shoulder, Gilbert lifted his mask slightly in order to place his fingers towards his mouth. His whistle was loud, though barely heard over the sounds of , Germania heard it and his head snapped to the source. Changing directions, Germania launched towards where his son and the captive mage were.

It took a few agonizing moments for Gilbert to haul both him and the limp mage onto Germania's back, but once they were on, the elder Wyvern launched into the air. They flew above Ludwig and Alfred, the two still fighting on the ground.

"Ludwig! Daal wah Leon!" Germania yelled, getting the attention of the two.

Alfred wasted no time in turning and sprinting, pulling himself onto Ludwig's back just as the Wyvern launched into the air. They flew up and out of sight, blocked by the clouds that begun to rain. It wasn't long before they were drenched in water, Alfred's hair sticking to his face as the rain fell through the holes in the skull mask, pelting his burning cheeks.

His heart was pounding and some areas on his body stung, most likely from cuts. Alfred grinned, feeling a small giggle bubble up in his chest before he was full out laughing.

"Holy crap!" He yelled, lifting up his mask to flash Gilbert a grin.

Germania was flying level with Ludwig, the two giving Alfred some of their attention while their remaining focus was on flying.

Alfred patted Ludwig's neck, indicating he wanted to hop flanks. Getting the message, Ludwig flew a bit closer to Germania, hovering slightly above him so Alfred could hop over easily. When the blond was safely on Germania's back, Ludwig flew back to being levelled with his father.

"That was exhilarating! Fighting side-by-side with a Wyvern? Holy crap my heart's still pounding!" He sat down next to Gilbert. It took him a moment to notice that the albino wasn't sharing his joy. He was too busy staring down at the bound and gagged mage lying on his lap.

Alfred frowned, remembering the face of this mage. It was the green-eyed mage that first launched a fireball at him and Gilbert. Blue eyes flicked up to Gilbert's face, the albino having pushed his mask up in order to get a better look at the sleeping face. His brows were creased and an unreadable emotion danced through his eyes. He looked almost ready to cry, from what, Alfred wasn't sure.

"Oh Feliks…" He whispered.

\---

"Psst, Alfred."

Alfred's brows furrowed, he groaned softly as he rolled back onto his side, shuffling deeper under the warm furs.

"Alfred!" Came the hiss again followed by a sharp prod in his side.

"Nnn." He swatted at the area the poke came from, hoping to deter whoever messed with his sleep.

Alfred stiffened when a hand slapped over his mouth and the feeling of sharp pinpricks erupted along his leg. The blond lurched forward, his scream muffled by the hand.

His eyes flew open wildly to look down to his leg where a small Wyvern was clinging on, teeth clamped onto his ankle. It paused its gnawing, glancing up at Alfred and purring slightly. Thankfully it was only biting lightly, but it was enough to hurt and warrant a yelp of surprise.

The Wyvern let go, leaping forward and scrambling up Alfred's body. It swung itself from his chest up to the hand covering Alfred's mouth, sprinting along the arm and jumping onto the back of the person.

Red eyes clashed with blue, Gilbert gave him a crooked grin. "Sorry," He whispered lightly, "You just wouldn't wake up. Come on, we got to go." He removed his hand, not waiting for Alfred as he stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave.

Alfred had been staying in one of the many caves in the mountain, this one being relatively small but still wide enough to fit at least four grown men. Romulus and his two nephews also shared the cave with Alfred, hence why it was big enough for all of them to fit.

Careful to avoid the sleeping bodies, Alfred held his breath until he was in the cave hall. Before he could get his bearings, Gilbert grabbed a hold of his wrist and began tugging Alfred in a direction, careful to keep his steps quiet.

"Gil, where are we going so late at night? Couldn't this have waited till morning?" Alfred stifled a yawn, staring blurrily at the form in front of him.

"No, it couldn't. Besides, it should be dawn in your village about now." Gilbert hissed without looking at Alfred.

This caught the blonde's attention, quickly flushing out any sleep that lingered in his system. "Wait, my village?! We're going to my village?!"

Gilbert hissed, slapping a hand over Alfred's mouth. "Shut up! Do you want to get us caught? In case you haven't noticed, we're sneaking for a reason!"

He huffed, searching Alfred's face for something before his eyes softened, the albino slowly moving his hand to cup Alfred's cheek. "But yes, we are going to your village. I'm going to need you to stay quiet until we're in the clear, understand?"

Alfred nodded enthusiastically, grinning brightly at the prospect of visiting home to see his friends and family. It was hard, but Alfred managed to keep quiet until Gilbert pulled him into a wide cave. There lying on a pile of hay, was Leon. He didn't seem all that surprised to see Alfred or Gilbert, instead he merely lifted his head up and sighed through his nose.

"Is everything ready?" Gilbert asked, standing before the dark-scaled beast.

Nodding his head, Leon closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them. Alfred watched as a teleportation circle formed beneath his and Gilbert's feet. Soon the cave disappeared and they were deposited into a rather sparse forest. The moment they landed in the snow, Alfred jolted up and danced around, shivering.

"Great Gods that's cold!" He exclaimed. How on earth could he forget that his village was literally covered in snow? One would think he'd remember something like that.

Gilbert sat up and shuddered, his teeth chattering slightly. "Aujir Viing, can you please?"

The small bronze Wyvern looked at Gilbert, chirping happily before blowing a small flame that washed over the albino, melting some of the snow around them. Gilbert let out a pleased groan at the flames, the chill slowly seeping out of his bones.

"N-no fair!" Alfred shivered, pointing an accusing finger at the two Dragons. "I can't s-s-survive fire! And I'm f-freez-zing!"

"Put on a coat." Came a voice from behind Alfred just as a thick, furry coat was tossed at him with enough force to make him topple over into the snow.

Gilbert caught the coat tossed to him, standing up and nodding a hello to Wang Yao. The other Dragon was dressed warmly, having prepared ahead of time for the cold weather.

"Thanks, Yao." Gilbert pulled on the cloak, accepting the thick pants and boots that were also offered.

Yao hummed, handing the same items to Alfred who pulled them on quickly, rubbing his hands together to ward off the chill.

"Yao? What are you doing here?" Alfred raised a brow at the appearance of the Eastern man.

Rolling his eyes, Yao chuckled, "I am needed for you to return. Plus, it is less alarming to see a "human" rather than a Dragon." He looked around, placing a sleeve-covered hand to his mouth. "Aya…. But this land is really cursed."

"A strong one too. It reeks of animosity here." Gilbert sniffed, rubbing his nose furiously.

Alfred looked between the two, confused. "Reeks? You can smell the curse? Are you sure it isn't the demons you're smelling?"

Gilbert and Aujir Viing glanced around, a frown marring both of their faces. "Oh we can smell those demons alright, but they're a completely different smell. They have a pungent, sour smell most of the time. The curse, however, smells foul and like the dead."

"That's why demons flock to this land. The smell of death is like an ambrosia to them." Yao hummed, moving over to Gilbert to pet Aujir Viing on the head. "Once the curse is removed, the demons should leave this place alone. Though… There may still be an occasional few."

At the mention of breaking the curse, Alfred quickly snapped his head to look at Gilbert. "Wait- Yeah! You can break the curse! Can you do it right now?"

Gilbert hesitated, "I'll need to go to the heart of the curse in order to see how complex it is. The dying wishes of Dragons aren't an easy task to deal with. Sometimes they can be gifts and sometimes they can be curses."

"What do you mean by that?" Alfred asked.

"Let's explain as we head to your village. Alfred, if you could lead the way." Yao's tone was a little strained, as was his smile. He'd very much like to get out of the cold.

Alfred jumped, "Ah right! Sorry!" He grinned, following his instincts on which direction to take. As he led the way out of the thin line of trees, Gilbert moved to walk beside Alfred.

"When a Dragon dies, their magic increases to the fullest point, rivalling the strength of their soul. This allows them to either lay an extremely heavy curse or give a very valuable gift. The Dragon that died here laid a curse on the land. It must've been strong to encompass this wide of a terrain…"

"A grieving mother is usually quite strong." Yao sighed, looking up at the sky. "If only the previous King hadn't started the war, the world would be so different…"

Alfred's eyes widened, his head whipping to look over his shoulder at the brown-haired male. "Huh?! The previous King started the war? B-but I thought the Dragons…?" Alfred trailed off, realizing that it didn't really seem plausible anymore.

After having gotten used to living with the Dragons and learning about them, he easily realized that they were noble beasts. They wouldn't attack without reason and tried to avoid conflict unless necessary. The Dragons valued justice, something Alfred sympathized with more than anything.

As he slowly began to peace it together, Alfred felt himself growing sick at the idea. He had been so blindly devoted to the king like many people in this kingdom. Alfred had put faith that the decisions the king made were for the good of the people, but now he saw that wasn't the case. And now he learned that the previous king was the one who started the Great War? Why?

"The previous king… Started the Great War and blamed it on the Dragons. Am I right in guessing that it was done for power?" Alfred whispered, digging his nails into the palm of his hands.

Gilbert nodded, "He wanted people to stop trusting Dragons and fear them instead. Dragons and those associated with them were no longer welcome. They wanted people to believe that if the most noble of magical creatures could suddenly turn and attack humans, then all of them could."

Alfred cursed, running a hand through his hair and shaking some of the light dusting of snow collecting on the blond locks. "Fucking hell! They've been planning to make an army for over 60 years?!"

Yao nodded, "Indeed. But the fighting lasted for quite a long time, mind you. They could not start an army until the Dragons were no longer protecting the magical creatures closest to the Capital. After they were gone, it still took them a few years to perfect capturing and containing. If we're technically speaking, they've only recently started collecting."

"Ten years, Yao. They've been collecting for ten years. That's not recent and it is still too long. Who knows how many captive, mindless drones they have inside that filthy excuse for a castle?!" Gilbert spat, smoke spilling from his mouth as his anger began building.

Aujir Viing chirped, jumping from Gilbert's shoulder and onto Alfred's. Instantly the smoke billowing from Gilbert stopped, the albino no longer able to make the premise of a fire without his winged companion.

"Sot Od! Human village!" The small Wyvern huffed, curling around Alfred's neck and snuggling close.

Gilbert blinked, gritting his teeth before he sighed and pushed his hair out of his face. "Right, sorry…"

Alfred lifted a hand to run it along Aujir Viing's head, earning a purr from the small beast. "Um… I don't believe we've met? I'm Alfred, though I'm also called Yuvon Krein."

The Wyvern purred, "I know! Seen you in shop! Yes!" It slapped its tail lightly, grinning at Alfred.

"Eh? You've seen me before?"

Gilbert smiled, "Remember the lock on my door?"

As he asked that, Alfred watched as the Wyvern's scales rippled again, this time the colour turning darker and richer. The beast's small body changed, freezing as it turned itself into bronze. Alfred let out a whistle, eyes wide at the sight of the bronze beast resting on his shoulders.

Looking at Gilbert, the albino grinned even wider. "Aujir Viing is from a species of small Wyvern that transform into minerals. His species can turn into anything from Diamond to Zircon and everything in-between. I have him stay in his bronze form during the day as to avoid suspicion. It's easier to have him on hand than to have a 15 foot Dragon waiting in my shop in case we get attacked."

"Neat!" Alfred grinned. When the Wyvern didn't turn back into its "living" form, Alfred assumed that he would stay in the bronze form for the duration of their trip. It would be less alarming for his village members if they assumed he was merely a decoration piece.

A whistle brought their attention to Wang Yao, the Eastern Dragon standing ahead of them on the top of a hill. He was half turned towards them, his attention moving from something beyond the hill to Alfred.

"That your village?"

Alfred's breath hitched and he scrambled up the hill, only slipping in the snow a few times. Gilbert followed at a slower pace, his internal temperature picking up now that his body realized it was in a cold climate. This made him far warmer than he had been when they first arrived, which was highly useful.

When Alfred stopped atop the hill next to Wang Yao, he felt a deep happiness well up inside him. The village was surrounded by high walls made of wood, the top filed down to a sharp point. The gate was made of the same material, though the wood seemed reinforced far more than the wall. A few villagers were stationed behind the wall on platforms so as to see anything approaching.

From the center they could see smoke rising, Alfred knew instantly that it was the large fire in the village central. It was always burning at night in order to scare off any flying demons since attacks usually occurred at night. From where they were, they could see black against the snow closest to the village walls. Alfred guessed they were either the bodies of demons or their blood.

Taking a deep breath, Alfred sighed, feeling the nostalgia of returning home wash over him. "Yeah… That's home. That's Rodaxan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> "Fah fin Dov!" For the Dragons  
> "Yuvon Krein, ni saan morah." Golden Sun, don't lose focus  
> "K-krosis." S-sorry  
> "Daal wah Leon." Return to Leon


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ayooo! I have returned with a new chapter! Sorry for the wait ;u; I'll try to pump out the next one sooner u.u Anywho, thanks again Rummy for being my beta! OwO  
> Translations will be in the end notes~

They could clearly see the villagers on the wall running back and forth the moment they stepped from the treeline. They ran to their posts, some clumsily drawing bows, others doing so rather skilfully. Alfred and his companions stopped at the gate, looking up towards those staring down at them.

"Who goes there?" A voice shouted, one Alfred recognized with a wide grin.

"Elizaveta! You're telling me you can't recognize my darling face?" Alfred batted his eyes even if they couldn't see it.

There was a pause and then a head poked out further, a woman with wavy brown hair tied up in a ponytail looking down at them. "Alfred? Is that really you?"

"The one and only." He grinned, rubbing his arms through his coat. "Mind opening the gate? I don't really wanna risk getting attacked."

Elizaveta's head disappeared and she began barking orders. Very slowly the wooden gate opened. While they waited for the gate to open wide enough for them to pass through, Gilbert leaned towards Alfred and whispered to him.

"No demon is going to attack the village. Not while our scent is hanging around. Only the stupid ones try to go against a Dragon."

Alfred nodded, "That's a relief. But still, let's keep it on the down low you two are Dragons until absolutely necessary."

Beside them, Yao stifled a laugh with his thick sleeve. "You mean until we break the curse or until they find out?"

Alfred never got the chance to respond, for when the gate lifted fully, Alfred found himself being tackled by his childhood friend. Elizaveta squeezed him tight, earning a stifled gasp from the male. Gilbert watched in amusement as the girl managed to actually lift Alfred a few feet off the ground. She was quite strong, the albino made sure to note.

"We thought you were dead! The Capital sent a messenger around three months ago saying you were killed on an assignment!" Her voice was hard, though it carried a few notes of grief.

Alfred frowned, he thought as much. "I'm not dead, as you can see. The Capital lied about that among other things."

She pulled back in order to look at him, her jade green eyes boring holes into him. "What do you mean?"

Gilbert cleared his throat, nudging Alfred in the side. "It'd be better to speak somewhere not in the open."

Alfred glanced at him, then to Yao who was looking at something lurking behind the treeline. The Dragon had his sleeve covering his mouth, like his usual habit, but his eyes were narrowed slightly. The raven-haired man nodded, blinking his eyes slowly before turning to smile at Alfred.

"Gilbert is right. Besides, this kind of topic is best kept to trustful ears."

Elizaveta seemed curious at Alfred's two new friends, but she nodded anyways and led them back past the gate. After ordering some villagers to lower it, she began leading Alfred and his companions towards the village center.

People were exiting their homes as word spread of Alfred's return. It almost seemed like someone had run down the streets yelling that Alfred was alive with how quickly everyone emerged from their warm houses. Alfred threw smiles and waves at the familiar faces, a few people letting out happy greetings at him actually being alive.

Pretty much by the time they reached the village center where a huge fire was blazing to ward off the cold, Alfred had a large crowd around him. There was hugging of all forms, some longer than most. While this went on, Gilbert stood off to the side with Yao and Elizaveta.

Gilbert spoke low under his breath so only Yao could hear. "Nust nafl llewarin rok…"

He didn't have to turn his head in order to see Yao nod. "Pruzah nust drey mindol rok lost dilon."

At the faint, almost inaudible growl coming from Gilbert, Yao placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. The Capital will get what's coming to them."

The two of them turned their attention to Elizaveta when she spoke up, her words directed towards them. "So you guys friends of Alfred?"

"You could say that." Yao hummed, nodding his head.

"Where'd you guys meet?"

"We met in the Capital." Gilbert informed, flashing her a well-practiced smile.

She sniffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Then if you met him in the Capital, why didn't you think Alfred was dead? And why'd they go out of their way and tell us he was when he's clearly alive and breathing?"

Yao tilted his head, staring at Gilbert for a few seconds before looking back at the woman before them. "Like we said, there are things better said somewhere private."

Elizaveta didn't seem pleased at the response, but she didn't say anything further as another voice spoke up above the crowd. "Where is he?! Where's Al?"

The crowd parted, leaving a path from Alfred towards the newcomer. Gilbert blinked at the other's appearance, almost mistaking him for Alfred if it wasn't for the few differences. That being his hair, clothes, and the way he held himself. The man also had dark rings under his eyes, clearly a sign he hadn't been sleeping well.

Alfred's face broke into a blinding smile when he locked eyes with the other. "Mattie!"

"Al!" The other blond, Matthew gasped.

The two ran at each other, slamming into the other and hugging tight. Matthew held his brother close, tears welling up in his soft eyes.

"You're alright! We thought you were dead! The Capital, they said you had been killed!" He shook his head, pulling back to look at Alfred. "I didn't want to believe it! But then we didn't receive any word from you for so long!"

Alfred gave him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… There's a reason for that!"

Matthew, searching his brother's eyes, nodded at what he apparently saw in them. "Come on, let's head to the house. We can talk there."

Nodding, Alfred turned to look at Gilbert and Yao, flicking his head for them to follow. Elizaveta stepped forward with them, puffing out her chest.

"I'm coming too! This I have to hear!" Her voice left no room for argument.

Matthew flashed a small smile towards Gilbert and Yao, obviously curious about who they were, but choosing not to comment on it until they were in the safety of his house.

Once inside, Alfred whistled before sitting on one of the cushions placed around a small, contained fire. "This place hasn't changed a bit!"

"Of course, I like the house like this. There's no point in changing something if it's fine the way it is." Matthew chuckled and sat across from him on the other side of the fire. He kept his eyes on his brother, almost like he was afraid Alfred would disappear the moment he looked away.

Elizaveta sat down next to Matthew, staring at Alfred as Gilbert and Yao sat on either side of him.

When no one said anything, she was the first to break the silence. "Well? Start talking! Why'd the Capital tell us you were dead? Where were you? Who're these people?"

Alfred held up a hand, grinning wryly at her barrage of questions. "Woah, woah! Calm down for a second! First off, you guys tell me what's been going on here. I've been out of the loop for almost four months now."

Elizaveta sighed, a little miffed her questions weren't being answered, but relented. She heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping. "Well, I'm village leader now."

"What?! When'd that happen?!" Alfred's eyes widened at such an extreme change.

"Around two months ago, my dad was killed out in the woods. Pack of Wolfins stumbled upon them and managed to kill three people from their six-man hunting party before being chased off." She spoke, her tone bitter and still raw with grief. "The attacks have been getting bolder and bolder with every passing day! Not only that, but finding food is proving to be extremely difficult. The forest creatures are barely there and it's been months since I've even seen a bird fly past!"

"We've been losing people left and right. Either from demons or from starvation. Heck, any food we do manage to scrape together is given to the children and those protecting us." She grimaced, running her sweating palms across her pant legs.

"But we're running out of resources and it's too dangerous to try and go to the other villages for help. We actually tried not too long ago! You know what they did? Pretty much spat in our faces and told us they wouldn't help the cursed! Afraid it'd transfer over and start harming them." Elizaveta growled bitterly, ending her rant with a huff.

Gilbert frowned, sharing a look with Alfred and Yao. They could help, that much was obvious. But they couldn't help if they had to withhold information. So, squaring his shoulders, Gilbert took a deep breath.

"Yuvon Krein, how well do you trust these two?" He asked.

"With my life." Alfred wasted no time in his answer, voice firm.

Ignoring the confused looks Elizaveta and Matthew gave him at calling Alfred such a strange name, Gilbert sighed before he nodded his head. "Alright," Turning his attention back to the other two, he began telling them of how he met Alfred and the events leading up to Alfred's 'death'.

"Alfred was being sent to his death, I had to intervene. But the stubborn brat wouldn't listen to me. So I did what I had to do." Gilbert shared a glance with Yao, who nodded, before talking again. "Let me be clear in saying that Yao and I aren't human. One of the farthest things, in fact. Though we look like it, that's not the case."

Pursing her lips and furrowing her brow, Elizaveta voiced the question her and Matthew shared. "If you aren't human, than what are you?"

"… They're Dragons." Alfred's grin lacked the enthusiasm it usually had, looking more awkward than anything.

There was a pause before Elizaveta burst out laughing, slapping Matthew's back as she tried to control her giggling fit. Matthew's smile was strained as each slap lurched him forward a bit. Once he managed to get her to stop abusing his body, he forced a small chuckle past his lips.

"Al, as much as I love you and missed you, I really don't think joking right now is the best option." He voiced gently, earning a scowl from his brother.

"But I'm not joking! They're both Dragons!"

Elizaveta wiped a tear, grinning at them. "Look, we'll amuse you and say we agree they're Dragons. But until they start breathing fire, I ain't gonna believe it."

Gilbert wasn't finding the situation amusing in the least. This was a serious topic and they were on a short time schedule.

So, growling softly under his throat, he clicked his tongue. "Aujir Viing, come here."

The giggling instantly stopped the moment the beast ornament around Alfred's cloak rippled. Gilbert heard Elizaveta curse as the Dragon unwound itself, jumping and landing on Gilbert's shoulder. Stretching out his body, Aujir Viing flicked his tongue out while Gilbert took in a deep breath.

"Small fires, Sot Od." Yao hummed, leaning back with an amused smirk on his face.

Smoke left his nostrils as he huffed, Gilbert directed a small stream of fire towards the waning blaze in the fire pit between them. Instantly the wood flared with new life, orange flames licking at the wood, causing it to crackle from the new heat.

Light tendrils of smoke seeped from the albino's mouth as he turned his head to whisper a thank you to the Wyvern. It purred, scales rippling before it hopped back over to Alfred, coiling around him again but not transforming back into his bronze form.

"Believe me now?" Alfred asked, a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice.

Matthew and Elizaveta were staring at them with wide eyes. After a thick silence, Elizaveta blew out the air she'd been holding, dragging her fingers through her hair.

"Fuck… You were serious…"

Yao hummed, "Yes yes, what a shock. But right now we have more pressing matters. I can feel those disgusting creatures dancing around the woods. Their stench is so strong here it's hard to breath." He waved an impatient hand at Gilbert and Alfred, "Please hurry up and do what you have to. If we wait here any longer, Germania will skin me along with the both of you."

Gilbert and Alfred both grimaced, sharing a look and nodding. Alfred quickly delved into the issue with the Capital and the building of an army. Elizaveta and Matthew took this in stride, a multitude of emotions flittering over their faces as they processed the information. Elizaveta looked grim by the end of it, Matthew, just as pale as her.

"I can't believe it… And you're going to fight in this war?" Matthew asked, turning worried eyes to his brother.

"What else can I do? Mattie, I can't just leave them when I'm already so invested. This is my fight just as much as theirs. I'm going to see this through." Alfred's voice was full of conviction, eyes determined.

Elizaveta sighed, shaking her head. "I know we can't change your mind. You're too stubborn to reason with. But at the very least… come home safe… alright?"

Matthew nodded, smiling warmly at Alfred. "I agree. I don't want you going to war where you could possibly die… But I know you'll go even if I tell you not to. Just try not to get hurt too much, please."

Grinning at them, Alfred nodded his head, warmth filling him from their support. "I promise I'll be as careful as I can be."

Letting the warm air linger for a moment longer, Gilbert eventually spoke up, tone serious. "Before we leave… There's something I'd like to do for the people of this village. Please, do you know where the Dragon who cursed this land died?"

Elizaveta frowned, but nodded her head slowly. "I do. It's where most of the demons gather."

"That makes sense. That much malice in one spot? Her spirit is probably still lingering there." Yao stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes. "Let's go then. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can try and lift the curse."

"Wait, lift the curse? How can you do that?" Matthew asked, following the others examples and standing with them.

Gilbert grinned, jabbing a finger to his chest, "Because I'm a Dragon!"

With that they bundled up and headed out. Elizaveta insisted on taking a couple of weapons, even when Yao and Gilbert said their scent alone would send most demons scurrying. Still, the four made their way through the snow and out of the back of the village.

Elizaveta was in the lead, awkwardly dealing with a curious Wyvern on her shoulder. Aujir Viing was rattling question after question, occasionally puffing a few flames out in order to warm the air around them without being too every time she heard the intake of breath, it still wasn't easy for Elizaveta to get used to the bright flames jumping out so close to her. They made the two humans not used to Dragons jump every now and again.

As they drew closer, Aujir Viing eventually stopped breathing fire, cowering closer to Elizaveta's neck. Alfred was going to ask about the sudden attitude change, but he noticed both Gilbert and Yao looked as if they'd puke. Yao had his nose covered with his sleeve while Gilbert was grinding his teeth together, entire body stiff.

"Fuck…" Gilbert didn't realize the air would be so oppressing. He could practically feel the lingering rage. The poisonous feeling was hanging in the air like a thick smog, dragging him down with every step and making his stomach roll with nausea.

When Elizaveta and Matthew stopped atop a hill of snow, Gilbert and Yao were trembling lightly. It was as if the anguish of the dead Dragon was echoing in their hearts. They felt her pain as if it was their own and the urge to cry was strong. The two young Dragons had never felt anything like this before.

"This is where she died. What do you plan on doing?" Elizaveta asked the albino when he stood next to her.

Gilbert took a deep breath, "Not sure. Never done this before."

Alfred turned wide eyes at him, ready to say something about Gilbert's inexperience, but he was already walking forward. Aujir Viing leapt from Elizaveta's shoulder, gliding over to Gilbert's and resting with his tail coiled around Gilbert's neck.

Everyone was silent as they watched Gilbert stop in front of a seemingly normal pile of snow. He wasn't sure how he would go about summoning the spirit of the Dragon, but there was no harm in trying. He'd try the way most Dragons called out to each other, with a roar.

Taking a deep breath, he tossed his head back and let out the animalistic cry. Both Matthew and Elizaveta were shocked at how inhuman it sounded, the two proven once again that Gilbert was indeed a Dragon.

It was as if time stood still, the world around them went deathly quiet. Then, suddenly, the wind picked up until it was like a mini blizzard blowing about. The group shielded their face from the biting snow and wind, ears picking up the rumble of something.

When they looked again, before Gilbert was a large Dragon made of ice and snow. It was blurry, almost transparent like it wasn't really there to begin with. The light from the slowly rising sun glinted off of their body, making it sparkle in an ethereal light. The eyes glaring at them were a blazing red, a stark contrast against the blue and white beast. Lips curled back revealed rows of sharp, ice-made teeth, her voice practically shook the air around them.

"Zu'u bo wah fin rein do dii zeymah nunon wa siiv daar vah koraav." Her voice dripped with such hostile malice, the wings on her back flaring in anger.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes, "Hin miin dreh ni grahmindol hi, kruziik gein. Zu'u los dovah, ol hi."

"What are they saying?" Matthew whispered to Yao.

"She doesn't think Gilberts a Dragon." Alfred answered for his brother.

Elizaveta glanced at him, "You can understand them?"

Alfred shrugged, smiling innocently. "Well when you live around Dragons for a while, you pick up a few things."

Their attention turned back to the Dragon as she growled in anger, snarling at Gilbert.

"Lo! Lo lo lo!" Shaking her massive head, she shrieked in Gilbert's face. "Svanoa bevi hi lo wah zu'u! Zu'u koraav hin luft, hi los mun! Svanoa pogaan throd tiid fen hin fron lo?"

"She keeps calling Gilbert a liar, that he's human and not a Dragon." Alfred continued translating, frowning. "Can't she smell that he's one of them?"

"She's a spirit, Alfred. Her mind may be there, but not her nose. She can only believe what she sees." Yao informed, arms crossed over his chest.

Gilbert growled, unable to get a word in as the grieving spirit continued to snarl at him. Smoke began fuming from his mouth and he made sure to turn his head up to the sky before letting loose the flames itching in the back of his throat.

The spirit gasped, crimson eyes widening as she stared up at the flames. Once they ceased, all was silent. She stared at Gilbert with wide, unblinking eyes. Confusion flashed through them as she tilted her head, regarding Gilbert in a new light.

"Zu'u los Sot Od! Kul do Germania ahrk papref kinbok wah dii brod! Hin rahgot fen oblaan, daar muz los viir. Daar tol drey hi levnim nid lingrah waph! Petras, li bo ahrk bo nau! Li hin zii praan ahrk ocuir woth hin kiir!" Gilbert pleaded, squaring his shoulders. He spread his arms out wide, "These are my friends! I won't let you cause their death!"

The Dragon lifted her head, looking over her shoulder at the others still on the hill. Looking back down at Gilbert, the red in her eyes faded, melting into a soft, icy blue. She hung her head, slowly pressing her snout against Gilbert as a shudder ran through her body.

Gilbert remained quiet till she spoke, her voice heavy with grief. "Fah ful lingrah zu'u li dii rahgot ru. Nii nakta dii zii het, ko daar suleyksejun. Los zu'u wah nafl li bo? Fen zu'u nu fohga? Mindin pah daar tiid?"

Closing his eyes, Gilbert rested his forehead against her larger one. He ignored the chill of the ice pressed against his skin, his inner body temperature easily combatting the cold.

"Sometimes that's all you can do," He whispered, frowning. "Nii fen ni kos escho. Nuz hi fen. Fah hin prukos ahrk fah astana."

Their voices fell to low murmurs, lost to the wind swirling around them. The humans still on the hill strained to hear their words, Yao being the only one still able to pick up what they were saying. He squared his shoulders suddenly, bowing low at the waist in a sign of respect just as Gilbert took a step back.

Gilbert mimicked Yao's bow without even looking and, catching the hint, Alfred too bowed in the same fashion. It only took another moment before Elizaveta and Matthew were copying, refraining from stealing glances.

The Dragon took a few steps back, spreading her wings in a wide arch. All those present stood up straight as she cast her eyes over them, smiling lightly before looking at Gilbert with clear warmth in her eyes.

"Thank you…" Her words were light, almost as though it was the wind that whispered and not the spirit herself. She tilted her head back, looking up at the sky and closing her eyes with a long sigh.

A strong breeze picked up and with it, the snow like Dragon disappeared, piece by piece. The snowflakes that made up her body, scattering around them before the wind carried them into the sky and out of sight. Around them the oppressive air suddenly lifted, the change being so great it even made Alfred stumble in shock.

Yao took in a deep breath of air, sounding as if he just surfaced from being under water. From where Gilbert stood, the albino watched in awe as the snow lifted itself from the ground and dissipated into the air, leaving behind green grass and a littering of flowers.

It started off slow at first and then suddenly it was a huge wave. The rippling effect was the snow rising, disappearing, and then returning life into the ground beneath it. Everyone spun around, sounds of shock and awe spilling from their mouth as they watched the snow get blown off the skinny trees. In their clumpy white place were handfuls of lush green leaves, the bark of the tree no longer a sickly brown.

"Holy shit!" Elizaveta choked, spinning around and watching the 'wave' carry past the way they came. The snow clearing away until only rolling hills of green remained.

The strong woman choked on a sob, tears coming to her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands. Matthew was in a similar state, though he wasn't covering his mouth. They'd never seen these hills covered in anything but snow, the sight was overwhelming.

Matthew looked at Alfred with such joy, the two brothers sharing Elizaveta's tear-filled eyes. In a heartbeat the three of them were hugging tight, crying happily at the curse finally being lifted. Their village was free and at this rate, no more would die. They could finally have those warm days that only seemed like fairy tales until now.

"Gilbert!" Alfred cried when he caught sight of the albino walking back up the hill, grinning at them. Pulling away from Elizaveta and Matthew, Alfred ran at Gilbert with the full intent of tackling him.

Gilbert froze in his steps and barely had enough time to hold out his arms before Alfred was ploughing into him, knocking the both of them to the ground. Aujir Viing leapt from Gilbert just in time to avoid being taken out, the small Wyvern letting out a disgruntled yelp. He flapped his wings, hovering in the air for a bit before flying over to Yao and landing on his arm, pulling himself up onto his shoulder.

"Time soon up! Jun fen rocen svern!" He chirped, twisting his head to pick at his scales in a preening manner.

Yao hummed, raising his voice to be heard by the two giggling fools on the ground. "Aujir Viing is right. If we're not back by the time Germania wakes up, we're dead meat."

"Got it." Gilbert chuckled, patting Alfred's back. "Come on, you heard the two. Up."

Alfred pushed himself up so he was no longer laying on Gilbert, but leaning over him. Gilbert felt his breath catch in his throat at the blinding smile Alfred gave him, one that outshined all the previous smiles the blond gave. His blue eyes were sparkling, either from tears or happiness, Gilbert couldn't tell. His face was flushed, cheeks a bright red from how elated he was.

Gilbert swallowed, feeling his own face flush and a tentative smile pull up the corner of his mouth. He tried not to jump when one of Alfred's hands lifted in order to cup his cheek.

"Thank you, Gilbert. This is just…. Thank you." He breathed, another giggle spilling from his lips.

Red eyes found themselves trailing towards said lips, the Dragon's heartbeat picking up just as his own mouth suddenly felt dry and cottony.

Gilbert swallowed, eyes darting up to Alfred's before he grinned at him. "It was nothing. I promised I'd help lift the curse. I just figured sooner rather than later was better."

Alfred laughed at this, smile growing impossibly wider. "Well I'm glad you did."

They both let a sweet silence fall between them, searching each other's faces for something they didn't know. It wasn't until Elizaveta let out an awkward cough, snapping the two out of their little "moment".

She gave them an apologetic smile as they scrambled to stand, elbowing Yao in the side when the other Dragon started giggling behind his sleeve.

Matthew smiled, brows creased slightly as he looked between Gilbert and his brother. "We'd better head back to the village. They're going to be wondering just what happened to the curse."

At the mention of the villager's reactions, Elizaveta suddenly turned serious, her smile dipping into a frown.

"What are we going to tell them? That you two are Dragons and that you removed the curse?" She looked between Yao and Gilbert, "No offense, but I don't think they'll take that sitting down. They'll ask for proof and some of the more terrified ones… They may do something rash."

"Like report to the Capital." Alfred stepped forward, sighing as he dragged his fingers through his hair. "I don't wanna think it… But there is that chance that they could unintentionally spread word. Like, bragging that they have Dragons as allies or something. The Capital catches wind of that and it's all over. They'll be breaking down the walls faster than you can blink."

Yao clicked his tongue, crossing his arms over his chest. "Aya, you think about this too much. Just say me and Gilbert are powerful mages you met. That should quell any questions for the time being."

Gilbert hummed and moved to stand next to Alfred, nodding at the blond. "Yao is right. We can say that's why you disappeared for so long. You caught wind of two powerful mages that could break any curse, so you went to go find us."

"Then if that's our story, let's get going!" Elizaveta declared, turning and heading back towards the way they came.

The Eastern Dragon shook his head, sniffing the air. "You humans go on ahead of me and Gilbert. We're going to do a sweep of the surrounding forest, get our scent everywhere. It'll keep the demons away and, if we run into any, we'll pick them off."

"Do you need a sword?" Matthew asked, gesturing his hand for Elizaveta to offer Yao a sword.

Smiling, Yao waved a hand, "No no, I'm quite fine."

"Alright." Elizaveta shrugged, continuing to walk back to Rodaxan.

As Gilbert and Yao moved to the side to let them pass, Alfred hesitated, reaching out to grasp Gilbert's wrist. The albino seemed surprised at the contact, but he didn't pull away. Instead he looked up, tilting his head questioningly.

Alfred bit his bottom lip, glancing at the woods before looking back at Gilbert. "You sure you'll be fine? I could come with you, if you'd like."

Gilbert chuckled, placing a hand to Alfred's chest. Alfred was momentarily distracted by the warmth, enough for Gilbert to gently shove him towards the retreating humans.

The Dragon smiled at him, "Go with them. Yao and I have this covered."

"But-!"

"Bo ahrk sov bok wah hin brod, Yuvon Krein. Nust akmia hi ol pogaas ol hi akmia niin." Gilbert said, adding in a softer tone, "Yao and I will wait for you back where we first arrived. Take your time in saying your goodbyes. I can't promise the next time you'll see them. Go and enjoy the time you have now."

Alfred still looked like he wanted to help Gilbert, but one glance at the two waiting for him and Alfred knew he lost. Nodding, Alfred grinned at Gilbert and after telling them to be safe, jogged to catch up to Matthew and Elizaveta.

Yao hummed, sliding up next to Gilbert and nudging his shoulder, Aujir Viing climbing onto Gilbert's shoulder and perching there.

"You take left, I'll take right?"

Gilbert grunted in confirmation, turning and heading towards the woods on their left. Yao watched him go for a while longer before chuckling under his breath and heading the other way.

After spreading their scent around and taking out some weak, lingering demons, Gilbert and Yao made their way back to the treeline they arrived in. With how quickly the demonic scent was disappearing, Gilbert guessed it wouldn't be long before animals started trickling back into the environment. If Gilbert got in trouble for doing this, he couldn't find it in him to care. Gilbert had helped Alfred, even if it was a little indirectly. That thought alone was enough to warm him up from the inside out, a small smile playing along his lips.

"Hey!"

Glancing up, Gilbert watched Alfred trudge up to them. Yao pushed off the tree he was leaning on, chuckling at Alfred's appearance. He was sweating lightly, no longer wearing the thick coat Yao had given him.

"Don't you look haggard." Yao snickered, hiding his face behind his cloak.

Alfred huffed, stopping front of them and pushing his bangs from his face. "Well what'd you expect? It got so hot all of a sudden! Almost everyone in the village was sweating! Ah, and they bought the lie! Though everyone wanted to thank you. Honestly I bet they'd even drop to the ground and kiss your feet if you'd let them."

Gilbert grimaced, "I'd rather not. We should just hurry up and head back. Did you say your goodbyes?"

Yao and Gilbert had been waiting for almost an hour, not that they cared. Already the two had shed their warmer clothes, not really in the mood to feel stuffy with the rising temperature. And from the look Alfred gave them, it was easy to tell that he did indeed say his goodbyes.

"Yeah," He mumbled, tone tinged with sadness. "I promised them I'd come back in one piece. But… Who knows? I'm heading into a war."

"…" Gilbert hesitated, frowning as he licked his lips. "You know…. You could always-."

He paused when Alfred held up a hand, the blond piercing him with a determined look. "Don't even continue that thought. This is my choice. I'm going to join you in this battle. I'm not going to think about me dying. Instead I'm going to stay positive that we'll all survive this battle."

Gilbert found himself smiling and he chuckled, shoulders slumping slightly. "Well I guess that answers that…"

"Now that we have that out of the way, shall we head back?" Yao hummed, already holding up his hands and forming a magic circle around them.

When they returned back to the den, all was still in the late night air. It seemed as if dawn would arrive in a few hours, along with it the wakening of everyone still sleeping.

The small group looked around, letting out the breaths they were holding when they didn't see Germania. Yao let out a delighted hum, prancing over to the Dragon that had teleported them from this side. He flopped on Leon's muzzle, purring against the Dragon as he nuzzled him.

"Sorry you had to stay here all night, Leon! It must've been uncomfortable."

Leon seemed to grimace, body tensing as a voice spoke from somewhere above them. "Oh don't worry, he had company."

The small group froze as Germania slid from a little alcove in the rocky wall above them. His gaze glowed ominously, tongue sliding out and flicking the air as a hiss rumbled in the back of his throat.

Yao shot up, eyes wide. "Crap! Leon, scatter!"

In a blink, Yao disappeared, Leon doing the same not a moment later. Gilbert and Alfred sputtered as they realized they'd just been ditched.

"Traitor!" Alfred cried out to no one, huddling close to Gilbert as Germania stalked forward, towering over them.

"Don't worry, the two of them will be punished in due time. But first," Germania's growl was sickeningly sweet, his fury at being disobeyed out in the open and almost tangible in the air. "How was your little 'trip'?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Nust nafl llewarin rok "They really missed him"
> 
> Pruzah nust drey mindol rok lost dilon "Well they did think he was dead"
> 
> Zu'u bo wah fin rein do dii zeymah nunon wa siiv daar vah koraav"I come to the cry of my kin only to find this hideous sight"
> 
> Hin miin dreh ni grahmindol hi, kruziik gein. Zu'u los dovah, ol hi"Your eyes do not trick you, ancient one. I am dragon, just as you."
> 
> Svanoa bevi hi lo wah zu'u! Zu'u koraav hin luft, hi los mun! Svanoa pogaan throd tiid fen hin fron lo "Lies! How dare you lie to me! I see your face, you are man! How many more times will your kind lie?"
> 
> Zu'u los Sot Od! Kul do Germania ahrk papref kinbok wah dii brod! Hin rahgot fen oblaan, daar muz los viir. Daar tol drey hi levnim nid lingrah waph! Petras, li bo ahrk bo nau! Li hin zii praan ahrk ocuir woth hin kiir "I am White Snow! Son of Germania and future leader to my clan! Your anger must end, these people are dying. Those that did you harm no longer exist! Please, let go and move on! Let your spirit rest and reunite with your children!"
> 
> Fah ful lingrah zu'u li dii rahgot ru. Nii nakta dii zii het, ko daar suleyksejun. Los zu'u wah nafl li bo? Fen zu'u nu fohga? Mindin pah daar tiid "For so long I let my anger run. It kept my spirit here, in this realm. Am I to really let go? Must I now forget? After all this time?"
> 
> Nii fen ni kos escho. Nuz hi fen. Fah hin prukos ahrk fah astana "It will not be easy. But you must. For your sake and for theirs"
> 
> Jun fen rocen svern "King will wake up"
> 
> Bo ahrk sov bok wah hin brod, Yuvon Krein. Nust akmia hi ol pogaas ol hi akmia niin "Go and spend time with your family, Golden sun. They've missed you just as much as you've missed them."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the courting kicks off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Holy shit it's been a while! My only reasoning being school because dang, this semester is a reeeeal pain. Also, after much thought I decided that this will possibly be my last Hetalia fanfic for a while. I want to branch off to other things and, if I'm being honest, the Hetalia fandom around my area is extremely toxic and ruined a lot of things for me. :'D So my original love for the fandom is a bit... Dirtied... But never fear! I will still finish this. I hate leaving things incomplete~ Hope you enjoy. I can finally write some freaking development between Gil and Al now. Also excuse any mistakes that may be in here. Since me and my editor are extremely busy this semester, they've taken a break from editing till classes are over. As always, thanks for reading! Comments are appreciated, even if they're severely short!

"Do you have an excuse lined up, or should I just punish you now?" Germania snarled, lowering his head to stare straight into Gilbert's eyes.

Gilbert swallowed, body going rigid. Despite his fear at angering his father, Gilbert wasn't about to throw down excuses like a scared worm. Squaring his shoulders, the albino lifted his chin in a proud manner. "… No. I don't have any excuse. It's just as it looks."

Germania snorted, "Of course," Straightening, the Dragon's tongue slid out and flicked in the air, a small hiss coming from the scaled beast. "I specifically told you not to, but you went out of your way to disobey me. I'm no longer growing surprised with how often you go against me."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Gilbert lowered his head and hunched his shoulders. He had nothing to refute that statement, it was just as Germania said. The only thing he could do now was stay silent and accept his punishment like a proper Dragon.

Sparing a small glare towards his hatchling, Germania sighed through his nose before flicking his tail. "Kornerupine, three pounds worth. I want it here within two days."

Gilbert's head snapped up and his eyes widened. Mouth hanging open in shock, the albino sputtered for a response.

"W-what?! You want three pounds worth of that stuff?! But it's so hard to find! And it's all the way on the north side of the valley!" Came the albino's outraged cry.

Germania snorted, "Best get walking then." Turning his gaze towards Alfred, he flicked his head. "You, follow me. You'll be getting a different punishment."

Yet Alfred didn't comply, instead he stood his ground. "Now hold on! Gilbert shouldn't have to handle his punishment alone!"

Germania stared at Alfred, tilting his head slightly. "And am I to take it that you wish to help him?"

Just as Alfred said yes, Gilbert rushed to say no. Alfred's head whipped to look at the other, confusion written all over his face. Gilbert placed an apologetic hand on his shoulder, flashing a strained smile before looking back up at his father.

"No. Alfred gets a different punishment. I can get the Kornerupine by myself."

"How come you don't want me to help? I can do it!" Alfred pouted.

Gilbert clicked his tongue, frowning at Alfred. "I'm telling you, you won't be able to handle it. Kornerupine is a pain in the ass to gather. Especially if you can't handle the environment it's found in."

"That doesn't matter. I'm going with you."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am!" Alfred scowled, leaning forward into Gilbert's space.

"No, you're not!" Gilbert snapped back, he too leaning forward and smacking his forehead against Alfred's. They both growled at each other, pushing their heads forward with equal force while arguing back and forth.

Germania rolled his eyes, sighing to himself and wondering what he did to get such childish warriors. Turning around, the Wyvern whipped his tail, which caused it to crash into Alfred, knocking him into Gilbert and sprawling the both of them on the floor.

"Enough, you both are giving me a headache. Alfred will accompany you. He can carry the Kornerupine on the way back. Now pick yourselves up and head out. It should take you half the day to reach your destination by foot." Germania glared at them over his shoulder. "You are lucky I'm letting you off lightly. Do not test my patience again."

The two men stayed on the ground, limbs tangled with the other's as they watched Germania slink back into the Den. Huffing, Gilbert was the first to stand up, shaking his limbs out before grimacing.

"Well… Come on. We'll need to gather some materials if we're going to set out. A bag to carry the gems in, arrows to hunt with, and then a pick in order to get it out of the rock." He sighed, offering a hand to Alfred and helping the blond up.

Alfred nodded, not even noticing how Gilbert's grip on his hand lingered longer than normal. "Alright. I'll fetch the arrows and bow. You get the bag and pick?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine. Meet back here in no more than five minutes. We've got a long journey, it's best if we set off soon."

With a semi-decent plan set, Gilbert and Alfred split up in order to gather the necessary materials. Alfred strapped his sword to his waist, adding a dagger to the holster on the other side of his hip. He collected a quiver of arrows, a bow, and a few throwing knives for Gilbert. When he returned back to the front of the Den, Gilbert was waiting for him, a large Dragon-hide sack hanging over one shoulder.

He handed Alfred the sack while Alfred gave him his weapons, the albino strapping them to the proper places before taking the sack back. "I put the pick in there. We can take it out once we get to Ore Mountain."

"Ore Mountain?" Alfred tilted his head, following Gilbert as he led the way.

Gilbert nodded, pointing at a wide mountain in the distance. "See that? We've flown over that mountain during training. A lot of ores grow on it, but the rarer minerals grow inside of it. But it isn't easy to get those minerals if you aren't prepared for it."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Giving him a small smile, Gilbert chuckled before facing forward again. "That's because it's an active volcano."

"What?!" Alfred stopped walking, looking at Gilbert's back with wide eyes. He scrambled to catch up to the other, falling in step with him once again. "We're going to an active volcano in order to collect some rare rocks? Is that safe? Or smart?"

"Don't worry, it's not like it'll erupt. There's a spell put on it that prevents it from erupting. Though the lava is still flowing just as strongly as it did 100 years ago." Gilbert hummed, lifting his arms and cradling the back of his head with his hands.

Alfred shook his head, holding up a hand. "Wait wait wait, so you're telling me that we'll be going inside an active volcano, **with lava** , might I add. Hot, boiling lava that can melt off my delicate, squishy flesh bits, and you're telling me not to worry? I think I have every right to worry!"

Gilbert glanced at him from the corner of his eye, "Don't forget that it was you who insisted on coming. You were going to be given a separate punishment because you wouldn't be able to do this one. I've told you before, hot temperatures are nothing to me. I can survive in lava just like any other Fire Dragon. In fact, lava is pretty much like a spa treatment for Fire Dragons. Your armour is made from Fire Dragon skin, so it won't burn if it suddenly catches fire. Though can't say the same about the rest of you."

Grimacing, Alfred placed a hand to his chest and rubbed at the scaly hide pressed against his undershirt. "Thanks…" He said, voice reeking with sarcasm.

The two of them trudged along towards the mountain, the distance getting shorter and shorter with each passing minute. They stopped for the occasional break, Gilbert taking his bow and hunting the rabbits that pranced around the moor. By the time the sun was at its highest, Gilbert and Alfred were climbing up the side of the mountain.

"So uh… I should've probably asked this about a mile back," Alfred called up to the albino above him, Gilbert swinging himself up onto a slim cliff. Dropping to his knees, he held out a hand to help pull Alfred up. "But how are we going to get in? Are we just going to jump right over the edge and into the lava?"

"No, stupid. For one, you'll die. And for two, there's a path that you can walk down into the volcano. The reason there's no path up to the volcano is to make it harder for humans to enter, should the Den be attacked and the weaker creatures need to be hidden. This is just one of the few back-up areas to hide those who can't fight. The large lake near the Den is another hidden area. At the very bottom is a trench where those that breathe water can hide in." Gilbert grunted, gripping the rock and pulling himself up.

He was going ahead of Alfred in order to show him where to place his hands and feet. If Gilbert fell from this height, he wouldn't die. Sure he'd probably break a lot of bones, but unlike Alfred, he wouldn't be killed on impact. So with Gilbert leading the way, Alfred was just a little safer. It also helped that when there wasn't a place to grip, Gilbert would claw out a chunk of the rock in order to create a foothold. It was fascinating for Alfred to see Gilbert whittle away the rock with his sharp, talon-like claws. It usually took a few minutes for the rock to chip away, but Alfred was just thankful for the extra hold.

By the time they reached the top, Alfred was already gasping for breath. He flopped on his back, staring up at the sky while he panted from exertion.

"My arms feel like jelly." He gasped, licking his lips and lifting a rather limp arm for emphasis.

Gilbert snorted, the albino fairing no better. He was lying next to Alfred, eyes closed and head tilted to the side. Alfred took this moment to steal a quick look at Gilbert. From the glistening sheen of sweat on his pale skin to the deep flush that reached the tip of his ears and down his neck, Gilbert was beautiful.

If Alfred's mouth wasn't feeling dry, it certainly was now. He swallowed, licking his lips again and reaching for the canteen at his side. He nudged it against Gilbert's arm, causing the Dragon to open his eyes and look at Alfred, then the canteen.

"Drink." Alfred offered, cracking a grin.

"You first." Gilbert hummed, smiling in return.

Alfred sat up and opened the canteen, grateful for the cool water that rushed down his parched throat. He handed it to Gilbert, who propped himself up on an elbow and chugged a good amount of the water down. He licked his lips, handing the canteen back to Alfred.

"So what's the plan?" Alfred asked, laying back down a bit closer to Gilbert.

Humming, Gilbert laid on his side, facing Alfred. "Well we could sit here and rest a bit, or we could start heading down."

Alfred laughed, "Yeah, I don't know about you but if we start heading down now, I can promise you I won't live to fight in the war."

"Rest it is." Gilbert chuckled warmly, grin widening.

"Sounds good."

With a sigh, the two of them closed their eyes and relaxed. Unintentionally they began to nap, unconsciously scooting closer to each other as the minutes passed. The two were jolted awake around an hour later by the sound of wings flapping through the air.

Alfred yawned, sitting up and pushing his hair back, looking up at the sky and squinting. He could see a Wyvern flying down towards them and, after studying the approaching form, Alfred was able to tell it was Ludwig. Gilbert, despite now being awake, gave an unhappy groan and scooted closer to Alfred. He buried his face in Alfred's side, grumbling in annoyance.

"Who is it?" He asked Alfred, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Gilbert, are you sure you should be napping now? Don't you have a time limit for your punishment?" Ludwig asked, landing on the wide rim of the volcano.

He moved over to them, close enough to hear the unhappy whine coming from his brother.

Gilbert peeled open one eye, pouting at Ludwig. "Well excuse me for not being so eager as to jump into lava and swim around trying to find a stupid rock."

"Are you here to help?" Alfred asked, looking up at Ludwig.

Shaking his massive head, Ludwig bent his head down and began nudging Alfred and Gilbert, coaxing the both of them to stand. "No, I am not to help you search for the gems. But I am allowed to carry the both of you back to the Den. Father felt that you two wouldn't make it within the deadline. And time is of the essence for this particular trip."

Alfred slumped his shoulders, following Gilbert towards the inner rim of the volcano where a path started, winding down towards the inside of the volcano. "Well at least we don't have to make the return trip back down the mountain. I'm pretty sure I would've died if we had to." He mumbled.

They walked down the path in silence, the trail wide enough for Ludwig to stroll down without having to press against the wall. From here Alfred could see down towards the bottom of the volcano. A reddish-orange tint filled the cavern the deeper they went, the lava reflecting off the walls. Down below it bubbled away, large cropping's of rocks and slabs of land littering around the molten liquid.

Alfred eventually had to stop, coughing harshly and placing a hand to the wall. The smell of sulphur and smoke hung in the air like a light fog, but it was enough to make Alfred's lungs burn. Not only that, but the heat was starting to grow unbearable for the meagre human. Gilbert stopped and turned to look at Alfred, watching him with worried eyes.

Taking a step back towards Alfred, Gilbert cupped his cheeks, tipping his head back so he could attempt to breathe easier. "Are you alright? Do you want to turn back? You aren't made for this kind of environment, Al. You don't have to stay here."

"N-no," Alfred coughed, shaking his head slightly. "I'm ok. Just… Gimme a minute."

Gilbert's worried frown didn't dissipate, but his attention was taken off of Alfred when Ludwig made a sound. "Oh, I almost forgot. Father did give me something to give Alfred so he could handle the volcano better."

It was only when Ludwig turned his head towards his back that Gilbert noticed a satchel strapped to one of his horns. He handed Gilbert the satchel, the albino reaching in and, after pushing around a few canteens of water, pulled out a golden band with a red stone imbedded into the center of it. He wasted no time in clicking it around Alfred's neck, watching as Alfred's breathing began to even out from his previous gasping.

As Gilbert looked back in the satchel to see if there was anything else of value, Alfred touched a hand to the choker around his neck.

"W-what is this?" He asked, throat a little raspy.

Gilbert hummed, closing the satchel and handing it to Alfred. "An enchanted item. Let's you breathe the volcanic air without damaging your body. Also helps reduce the feel of the heat so it doesn't feel like you're being cooked alive. Though it will still be a bit stuffy. We have a lot of these things stashed away for emergency purposes. Same with ones with water-breathing properties."

Alfred nodded slowly, "Ah, I get it. All for the back-up " _in-case-of-an-attack_ " emergency?"

"You got it."

With Alfred no longer at the risk of possibly dying, the trio made their way down towards the bottom of the volcano. Alfred and Ludwig settled on the large plot of earth connected to the path, keeping a good enough distance between the lava and them. It was mainly Alfred who wanted to sit where he was, propped up against a rock away from the edge. He didn't exactly want to get burned by lava from the bubbles that would occasionally rise up and pop.

Alfred looked up, seeing the sky at the top of the volcano. "It's gonna be night soon."

"It is. When sunset hits, Phoenix's will start to awaken." Ludwig rumbled, resting his head on a rock.

"Phoenix's?" Alfred questioned.

"Mmm. A tasty snack for those that manage to catch them. Though, I wouldn't worry about them attacking you." Ludwig hummed, "They do not attack unless provoked."

Alfred grimaced, turning back to look out at the boiling lava. "I'll keep that in mind."

Gilbert huffed before he began taking off a few of the items cluttering his frame. Dropping the sack, he kicked off his shoes and removed the bow and quiver. With those off, he reached for the sack, pulled out the pick, and trudged barefoot towards the lava with both in hand.

"So 3 pounds worth? What if I don't find that many?" Gilbert called over his shoulder.

"Then go deeper. Remember, it has a dry taste. Give it a lick before you pick at it." Ludwig called, watching him with a relaxed expression.

"Lick it?" Alfred wrinkled his nose at the suggestion.

Huffing in amusement, Ludwig glanced over at the blond. "Of course. Dragons can eat minerals of all kinds. Why do you think there's stories of Dragons hoarding precious jewels and coin? Because that's like a meal for a Dragon. They can be lazy and sit there, chewing on their coins instead of going out searching for a meal."

"Really? So can Gilbert and Yao eat rocks?"

"They can. Though Gilbert is extremely picky on the ones he eats. His favourites are rubies and hematite, but he hates the taste of peridot and topaz, among others." Ludwig watched Gilbert lean over, sticking a hand in the lava and splashing the red liquid a bit. "Gilbert, stop playing around."

"I'm not!" Gilbert scowled, "I was just checking the temperature."

Alfred laughed at that, grinning at the annoyed albino. "Temperature? It's going to be nothing but hot! What, did you expect it to be cool?"

Gilbert flipped off Alfred, sticking his tongue out at the other. "I'll have you know, the temperature of lava is different for me! It can be cool too!"

With a huff, Gilbert turned around and began wadding into the lava. Alfred watched as Gilbert easily made it till the lava was up to his waist. However when he took a step further, Gilbert let out a yelp as he fell off the apparent edge of land below the lava.

Gilbert went under and after a few seconds he broke through the surface, sputtering and spitting out some of the molten liquid. Alfred's eyes widened and he let out a sound of awe.

"Gilbert can have lava in his mouth? And it won't burn him there?"

"Any part of his body can have lava on it and it won't burn him. He could even drink it, if he so wanted. But it tastes just as pleasing as salt water." Ludwig answered, watching his brother in amusement.

Alfred nodded, digesting the information. "That's so cool. Can he breathe lava? Like how water Dragons breathe under water?"

"No, it's… Different. It would be like you trying to breath under water. Gilbert can't breathe under lava, but he has the lungs of a Dragon. If he so wanted, he could hold his breath for extended periods of time under the lava. Though since he's far smaller than my father and I, he can't stay under for as long as we can. For him, I would say he can stay under for about an hour before he needs oxygen."

"Wow… That's really freaking cool." Alfred breathed, looking back out at the lava.

Gilbert had dived under the orange liquid, disappearing from view. For the albino, it wasn't the first time he swam through lava. It was just a pain to deal with on the clean-up. If he didn't get all the lava off of him properly, it would dry and crust. The overall feeling was unpleasant and he'd rather avoid it.

He stayed under for about ten minutes, able to see through the lava rather easily. It was like being enveloped by red-tinted water, though of a thicker consistency. It was nothing for a Dragon to traverse through, barely any effort needed to cut through the thick liquid.

Gilbert began passing clusters of gems and other minerals, though he ignored them since they weren't what he was looking for. Kornerupine was a beautiful gem that, when shined in the light, could look like it was just another form of glass. The most popular form of Kornerupine was the one that had a sea-blue tint to it with a soft lavender resting within the center. An elegant gem that sold for a hefty amount of gold, was extremely useful in a lot of potions, but tasted like dry ash and false promises.

As Gilbert swam further down, he eventually found a little cave opening in the side. Taking a turn and swimming into it, Gilbert let out a delighted growl, finding a few clumps of what appeared to be Kornerupine littered around the shallow opening. He swam closer to a cluster, grimacing slightly before licking at the gem. Instantly his nose curled at the dusty, bland taste. Now that he was positive it was Kornerupine, Gilbert began setting to work, he began hacking at the rock around the gem, getting as close as he could without damaging it.

After stuffing everything into the sack, he hummed to himself. It didn't exactly feel as heavy as three pounds should, though he didn't exactly have anything to compare it to. Gilbert frowned, biting onto the handle of the pick and swimming up towards the surface.

_I'll just get a lot more. Father can't complain if I get more than three pounds._ Gilbert thought to himself, breaking through the surface of the lava. He took in a lungful of air, shaking his head out and scattering globs of the burning liquid.

"Oh, welcome back!" Alfred called, his attention turning to the emerging albino.

Gilbert climbed out onto the land they were relaxing on, his brows creasing at the sight before him. Alfred was leaning against Ludwig, a pile of pebbles pushed to the side while the human was trying to stack as many as he could on Ludwig's body.

"Glad you two are having fun." He snorted, taking the pick from his mouth and setting it down with the sack.

Alfred stood up, dusting himself off and moving towards Gilbert. "Well there wasn't really much else to do."

Gilbert held up a hand, stopping Alfred from getting any closer. "Ah-ah, I just came out of lava, so don't get any closer than that."

"Oh, right! Does that mean your outer temperature is as hot as lava?" Alfred asked, seeming extremely curious. He blinked wide eyes, pursing his lips as he held up a hand, almost like he wanted to touch Gilbert's skin to feel.

Rolling his eyes, Gilbert held out his hand to Alfred. "Well I cooled down a bit, but I can still get as hot as lava."

"I don't doubt it." Alfred sent Gilbert a grin that almost seemed like he wasn't at all referring to the lava.

Gilbert raised a brow at the comment, but smirked nonetheless. Alfred took his hand, jumping slightly at the overly warm feeling. It wasn't unbearably hot, but it was enough to make Alfred's hand start to sweat a bit. If he was honestly speaking, he wouldn't mind cuddling this kind of warmth in the colder months.

The thought caused a blush to rise to Alfred's cheeks, the blond dropping Gilbert's hand and stepping back. "Y-yeah, you were right! You are warmer than normal once you just step out of lava!"

Curious at Alfred's suddenly flustered demeanour, Gilbert tilted his head and hummed, smirk turning sly as he leaned forward. "Ah? Why're you blushing, Al? Did you just think of something… Naughty?"

Alfred felt the warmth in his cheeks increase and he was left sputtering for an answer, backing up again as Gilbert took a step forward.

"N-no! I didn't!" He snapped a little too defensively.

Gilbert opened his mouth to no doubt tease Alfred more, but Ludwig then decided to intervene and save Alfred from more embarrassment. He had stood up, scattering the rocks from his scaly form before moving over to the two. He hooked a clawed hand around Gilbert and flung him towards the lava, the albino landing in with a large splash.

Alfred jumped at the sudden movement from Ludwig, head snapping between the Dragon and where he threw Gilbert. Watching the lava in obvious amusement, Ludwig's small grin widened as Gilbert rose to the surface, angrily splashing about.

"What the fuck?! Ludwig!" He started spewing cursed, glaring at his brother.

"Enough teasing. Hurry up and collect the rest of the Kornerupine. Alfred and I will start getting things together to make a meal."

Gilbert puffed out his cheeks, sulking slightly. "Well can I at least have the pick and bag?"

Ludwig tossed the aforementioned items towards Gilbert, not bothering to wait and watch him dive under. Ludwig instead turned and spread his wings, tensing and readying to fly out of the volcano.

"I will go and collect branches for a cooking fire and something substantial to eat. You can stay here and clear away a space for the camp fire." And with that Ludwig launched off the ground and into the air, disappearing over the lip of the volcano in only a few quick flaps of his wings.

Alfred pouted, shoulders slumping. "Really…?" He kicked a rock and frowned, "This is supposed to be a punishment, but I'm not really doing anything."

Instead of clearing away a space, Alfred instead began walking around the area of land he could reach. He kicked rocks into the lava, watching as they landed in with a hiss and a pop. He made a small game to see how far he could kick the rocks.

As Alfred kicked a particularly egg shaped rock, it instead bounced from his foot and hit against another cropping of rock. With a loud crack, the smaller rock split, two sides sliding in different directions.

Alfred flinched at the sound echoing slightly around the crater. He quickly scurried over to where the rock broke, picking up the two largest pieces and ignoring the minor chips missing.

"Oh… Wow!" Alfred breathed, eyes widening as he looked at the rock. It was a dingy, brownish-tan coloured on the outside, completely easy to overlook. However, on the inside was a cluster of smooth gemstones, arranged in a way that made them look like the inner rings of a tree. They caught the light of the lava, reflecting a rainbow of colours surrounded by a powdery white shine. Alfred shifted the rocks so he could hold them in one hand, using his now free hand to trace the inside of the rock.

He had unwittingly found a geode! Though he wasn't sure what mineral was inside of the rock, he did know that it looked extremely pretty catching the orange glow of the lava. Swallowing, Alfred bit his bottom lip just as he was suddenly struck by an idea. Gilbert was apparently able to eat minerals, so would he appreciate this kind of gift?

Before he could second guess himself, Alfred quickly moved over to the satchel filled with water bottles and shoved the geode into it. He'd give it to Gilbert when they got back to the den. Nodding to himself, Alfred pulled out a canteen and chugged down some of its contents.

By the time Gilbert climbed out of the lava, Alfred and Ludwig had a fire going and were cooking what appeared to have been a cow, possibly a horse.

"And I'm telling you, you didn't need to catch something so big! Just a boar would've been fine!" Alfred argued, leaning forward from where he sat and poking the cooking meat with a stick.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, "I'll eat whatever you and Gilbert do not."

"Are you sure you can eat any more? You literally just ate four Phoenix!"

Alfred gestured with a hand towards the boiling lava where large bubbles erupted and rising from them were phoenixes. They pulled themselves from the flames and danced up into the air, lingering near the top of the volcano.

"Oh please," Ludwig snorted, "Leave most of a Phoenix behind and they'll come back eventually. And besides, four measly Phoenix's won't fill up the belly of a Dragon."

Gilbert laughed at their banter, drawing attention to him as he stalked over to the duo. Dropping the items in his hands, Gilbert snatched one of the canteens near Alfred, sloshing the liquid around to see how filled it was. He hummed, ignoring the sizzling coming from his contact with the canteen before opening it and gulping down the remaining liquid.

"Well I'm more than willing to eat anything you don't finish. Swimming around in lava is tiring work, after all." Gilbert chuckled, sitting down next to Alfred and running a hand through his hair, flicking a few burning embers onto the ground. He reached over to the stuff he had placed down earlier, yanking on his shoes and other accessories.

Alfred snorted, rolling his eyes and pulling out one of his daggers, beginning to cut away at the cooked animal. "I'll take your word for that."

The three of them finished the meal with light banter and a warm atmosphere. Despite partaking in the conversation, Alfred's mind still drifted towards the geode in his satchel. Should he just give it to Gilbert now? Or should he wait for the proper moment? But why should he wait for the proper moment? It was just a gift! There was no extra meaning behind it… Was there?

Alfred lingered on that thought, frowning deeply while he stewed over it. Even as he and Gilbert climbed onto Ludwig's back, Alfred carrying the satchel and sack of Kornerupine, the blond still lingered on his motivation to give Gilbert the geode. Would Gilbert take it the wrong way and think Alfred was flirting with him? Did he want Gilbert to assume he was flirting with him? Alfred couldn't deny he wasn't displeased with the idea, but then again, would Gilbert be put-off about it? Would he be bothered getting a gift from a man?

But as that thought floated through his mind, Alfred found himself shaking his head and huffing. Of course Gilbert wouldn't mind! It was just a geode! Pretty much a friend getting another friend food! It was no different than Ludwig hunting for him or Francis giving Yao some pastries he made. There was nothing flirtatious about that, especially since Francis and Antonio were already together.

Before he could change his mind, Alfred dug his hand into the satchel, pushed around a few things, including the enchanted necklace, and pulled out the geode. He nudged Gilbert, getting the albino's attention as he offered the rock to him. Gilbert blinked, eyes widening as he looked from the geode to Alfred.

Flushing slightly, Alfred glanced away and managed to stutter out an explanation. "I-I was kicking a few rocks earlier when you were swimming in the lava. One of the rocks broke and turns out it was a geode. I figured you'd like it, since Dragons can eat gems and all."

Alfred noticed how Ludwig tensed underneath them, the Wyvern tilting his head slightly so he could look over his shoulder at what Alfred was giving Gilbert. He seemed just as surprised as Gilbert, but when he faced forward an amused, rumbling purr came from the large beast.

Gilbert smacked Ludwig's scales, hissing something before looking at Alfred and flushing a deep shade of red. The blush reached the tips of his ears and down his neck, standing out against Gilbert's alabaster skin. He flexed his hands, brows creasing as he tried to find words through his embarrassment.

"Ah… Well… Thank you, Alfred!" He took the geode, holding the two pieces in one hand. With his free hand, he touched one of the smooth crystals, scraping a nail against it and licking the powder his nails managed to scrape from the gem. The albino's eyes widened and, much to Alfred's surprise, the blush deepened.

"What kind of geode is it?" Ludwig asked, the Dragon flying towards the ground as the familiar sight of the Den began to get closer. Already campfires and lamps were lit, encasing the Den and the surrounding camps in a warm glow. Up above the sky was clear of any clouds, the moon a mere sliver in the blanket of stars expanding overhead.

Gilbert licked his lips, holding the geodes closer to his body. "It's… Iris agate."

Alfred blinked, "You can tell what gem it is just from the taste? That's seriously useful! So you could probably tell fake gems between real ones too, huh?"

The blond seemed oblivious to the panicked thoughts bouncing around Gilbert's mind. Gilbert was only stuck on the fact that Alfred had given him a geode with a rare form of agate inside. His mind was practically screaming at the possible meanings. Ludwig wasn't exactly helping when he said,

"The rarer, the better. Isn't that right, Gilbert?"

Alfred's grin was faltering slightly at the heavy silence from Gilbert. His shoulders slumped and a worried frown made its way onto his face. "Do you not like it?" He asked, a hint of panic in his tone.

Gilbert's eyes widened and he shook his head, holding up his hands. "No, no! I love it! Thank you, Alfred! I'll be sure to savour it."

The brilliant, relieved grin Alfred gave Gilbert made the albino's heart stop for a few seconds.

"Really? I'm glad!" Alfred chuckled, his own cheeks carrying a light flush to them.

They fell into something similar to a slightly uncomfortable, embarrassed silence. When Ludwig landed right in front of the Den's ground entrance, Gilbert practically threw himself off Ludwig's back while Alfred took his time sliding down towards the ground. Ludwig seemed all too amused, even as Germania stalked out of the Den and observed the blushing duo with a curious tilt to his head.

Instead of asking for an explanation on their flustered state, he instead flicked his head towards the Den. "Take the Kornerupine down towards the holding cell. The Elders should be down there already."

This snapped Gilbert out of his embarrassed stupor. His head snapped up, brows creased in confusion. "The holding cell? Why there?"

"Because the Elders believe they've figured out a way to break the mind control. The Kornerupine was merely an ingredient they needed to finish the brew. Now hurry up, time is wasting." Germania hummed, side-stepping so they could get past him.

Alfred and Gilbert merely shared a glance before the two of them were running into the Den, Gilbert leading the way for Alfred. Once the two were out of sight, Germania moved to stand beside Ludwig, eyes still on the Den entrance where his son had disappeared into.

"So, do I wish to know what was with their attitude?" He asked, glancing at his youngest son from the corner of his eye.

Ludwig let out an amused chuckle, looking up at his father. "Alfred has given Gilbert a geode. An Iris agate geode, to be exact."

Germania seemed surprised, but a wry grin pulled at his scaly mouth. "Oh really? Well isn't that interesting… I did not think I would have had to talk to Alfred about such a thing so early on."

"Well no time like the present."

"Yes," Germania hummed, his tail flicking from side-to-side in mild excitement. "Not time like the present."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIII DON'T HAVE A SET UPLOAD DATE
> 
> Also since the war is going to happen soon, I'm gonna put Dragon speech in italics so it doesn't draw away from the intensity. :U This chapter is short and I ain't that pleased with it... But I'm never really pleased with my writing most of the time :'D Honestly for this chapter, don't think too hard about Romulus and whatever he says. Like just don't. If it makes you feel better just imagine Romulus is asexual for this.

"It's about time you've arrived!" The small Drake snarled, his tone really holding no bite.

Gilbert huffed, dropping the sack of gems next to the feline-sized reptile. "Walking on two legs isn't exactly the fastest way to travel, Elder Frumo."

Frumo snorted, opening the satchel and sticking half his body in it. "You should think about growing wings then! You're a Dragon, not a Drake!"

Yanking out a large crystal, the Elder pushed it to the side slightly. "Ynerva, begin making the powder with this. Add it to the pot once you're done."

A rumbling sound came from what Alfred had assumed was a pile of large boulders, but at this point he should've just assumed everything was a Dragon. The rocks moved and shifted, uncurling from itself to reveal that it was actually another Drake, this one looking like her body was made out of stone. No wonder Alfred had been under the assumption it was just a pile of rocks.

"Wassit?" Ynerva lifted her head, sniffing as she blinked blind eyes. "Oh! Right the serum."

She pulled herself over to the rock Frumo had pushed in her direction, moving over to a large black kettle stewing over a fire, an ominous blue liquid bubbling from it.

Gilbert moved away from Alfred's side and over towards Ynerva, frowning as he watched her crush the gem with her club tail. He hesitated, wringing his hands together in a nervous gesture.

"Speak, hatchling." She hummed, not even bothering to look his way, not that it'd have been any help. "Your staring is going to strain your eyes."

"Will Feliks… Be ok? I haven't seen him since we got back."

"He is a menace!" Frumo sniffed in indignation, pointing his muzzle up towards the cave ceiling.

Another Elder, this one a slim Eastern Dragon, blew smoke from her nose as she moved over to Frumo, pushing him out of the way. "Out of the way you old lizard! You're just saying that because he tried hexing you!"

"Exactly! Who tries to hex a Dragon?!" Frumo scowled, hunching his small form. "When I was your age, magic folk weren't stupid enough to try and use magic on us. We were the ones who taught them how to cast spells! Yet here they are, throwing fireballs without a care in the world!"

The Eastern Dragon rolled her eyes, handing Alfred a few more crystals to carry over to Ynerva. "Just ignore him, hatchling. Take these to Ynerva."

Alfred nodded, ignoring the raving coming from the little Drake. He had a lot of emotion for such a small thing. Standing next to Gilbert, Alfred hesitantly waited, unsure of how to give the blind Drake the minerals.

"Just set them down," Ynerva hummed, taking the wooden plate the crushed up gem had been on and tipping its powdery contents into the brewing liquid. It reacted by creating bubbles in a furious manner before settling again.

Doing as he was told, Alfred and Gilbert watched in silence as Ynerva worked, adding more and more to the brew. Eventually after the fifth plate-full, the liquid turned into a cool, metallic silver. Fruma, having been lying on the outcropping of rock above them, let out a squawk in order to get Ynerva's attention.

"No more, you'll ruin the mix!"

Ynerva growled, baring her teeth more out of annoyance than anything. "I'm blind, not deaf, no need to shout."

Sliding up next to them, Yen, the third Elder working on this mixture, took the pot in her front claws, moving back with it towards another section of their work station. She moved easily, her six legs unhindered despite two being occupied with the pot. Setting the cauldron on a table, she took a ladle and poured a good amount in a smaller bowl.

"Now we just have to force-feed him this every ten minutes till it's all gone. Hatchlings, you go up and leave this to us. We'll come get you when you're needed." Yen hummed, waving them off with a hand.

Gilbert took Alfred by the arm, pulling him out towards the Den entrance. Once they were no longer inside, Gilbert let go of Alfred and took a deep breath. His shoulders were tense and a deep frown was etched into his face.

Alfred watched, his own face twisted with worry. Reaching out, Alfred laid a hand on Gilbert's shoulder, startling the other slightly from his thoughts.

"You ok…?" Alfred asked.

Sighing, Gilbert's tense posture lessened a small amount. He bit his lip, hesitating before he rested his hand on Alfred's and squeezed it. "I'm… Worried. About Feliks. He's been under their control for years, Al. His lover, his old life, he might never be able to get those back. I don't even know if his lover is still looking for him or if he just gave up. I can't imagine what Feliks might feel if that's the case, should this thing work."

"It will work," Alfred squeezed Gilbert's shoulder, "I have faith in the Elders. They'll break Feliks out of this spell."

Chuckling, Gilbert smiled lightly, sighing. "I appreciate your optimism."

Alfred shrugged, grinning. "Someone's gotta stay positive."

The two fell into silence, though not an uncomfortable one. Gilbert licked his lips, flexing his fingers as he tried to think of something to say. Yet instead of saying what he wanted to, mainly about the geode which was in a small pouch tied to his waist, Gilbert shook his head and took a step away from Alfred.

"I'm… Going to go find Yao. I need to get back to my shop, make sure no one is getting suspicious about my absence."

"Oh, yeah, right. That would be bad if people got suspicious." Alfred's smile turned a bit strained, the blond disappointed he wouldn't be able to spend some more time with Gilbert.

Yet he still waved Gilbert off, watching him leave and trying not to sigh too much. Alfred moved towards the section of the wide fields reserved for training the warriors, the former Knight intending on getting some sparring in till the day was over or till he was needed.

When he got to the training area, there were, as expected, already people there. Creatures of all kinds were sparring with each other, a few humans also in the mix. A Naga was wrestling with a Werewolf, the Werewolf probably learning how to get out of tightly confined spaces, meaning the serpent's coils.

Germania was there, watching over the sparring of a cluster of Dragons and their human partners that'd be riding with them. Romulus was leaning against the large beast, he being Germania's partner for sparring matches like this.

"Francis, you're too stiff! Loosen up when moving or else you'll get knocked off mid-flight!" Romulus called, watching said man get knocked off when Antonio tackled him off the back of his own Dragon.

Curses could be heard spewing from the blond in the dirt, an affronted squeal leaving him when Antonio decided to start tickling him. Alfred laughed as he watched Francis try to bat his lover's hands away, his wriggling redoubled.

Germania rolled his eyes, "You two are horrible sparring partners. Please be serious about this for once?"

His eyes flickered over to Alfred and, at the sight of the blond, Germania's demeanour change. He looked down to Romulus, nudging him barely, but enough to cause the human to stumble a bit.

"Watch them, correct anything you see fit. I need to talk to the boy."

Romulus glanced at Alfred, grinning before he laughed. "Alright. Hey Alfred, when Germania's done talking to you, come find me. I'll give you tips!"

Germania grimaced at the man, moving away from him towards Alfred. "I'd rather you didn't aid him. If anything you'd make his chances even worse."

Confused, Alfred watched Germania make his way over to him. Alfred nodded his head in greeting, watching as Germania lowered himself slightly. Alfred knew that as the signal for him to climb on the Wyvern's back. Wasting no time, Alfred vaulted up on the large reptile, sitting on his back. Germania looked at him over his shoulder and let out an inquisitive hum.

"Comfortable?"

"Um… Yes?"

Germania faced forward and without warning, launched into the air at a breakneck speed. Alfred bit back a yelp, clinging expertly to Germania's back as they climbed higher and higher into the air.

Suddenly the flying evened out and they were simply gliding through the sparse clouds, Germania occasionally flapping his wings. He said nothing while Alfred tried to gather his wits, wondering just what he did to make Germania fly him high into the air without warning.

"So, an iris agate geode?"

Alfred groaned, rubbing at his face with one hand. "Ludwig told you? Man that's embarrassing."

"Are you aware of the meaning behind giving a Dragon a gem?" Germania asked, tilting his head so he could observe Alfred from the corner of his eye.

Alfred's brows creased as he thought about that. "Well… I know it wasn't really an insult. Because Ludwig said the rarer the better and Gilbert told me he loved it. So I guess it means… Something good?"

A deep rumbling left Germania, the Wyvern wondering where to start. Sighing, he closed his eyes and nodded, turning to face forward.

"When a Dragon courts another Dragon, they will first do something to get their attention. This could be hunting for them or going out of their way to do something for them. The more often it occurs, the easier it is to tell that the Dragon is attempting to court them."

Alfred began paling slightly the more Germania began to speak. He was suddenly very concerned with where this was going.

"After a while, the Dragon doing the courting will go and search for a gift to give. First they start out with something small, like a few coins, necklaces, or pearls. Despite eating the jewels and stones, it isn't the same as hunting, in our eyes. This is taking the time to search for the perfect gift and deliver it to the intended mate. If the gifts are rejected, that is a sign that the other Dragon does not appreciate your advances and, even if they were ok with you hunting for them, they no longer wish to be courted.

"But if the gifts are accepted, then you would continue to give different kinds of gifts. The rarer the gift, the better, for it shows how interested you are. It's a confirmation on how much your intended mate means to you. After that, you would need to invite the other to fly with you. This is important, for it is a personal request and is to not be shared with anyone but your intended mate. Dragons are aware of the differences between requests for a companion flight verses a courting flight."

Germania quieted, waiting for all this information to sink in. He took the time to land on a cliff and into a little alcove, just in case Alfred fell from shock. At least this way he'd land on a closer ground and not plummet from the sky. Alfred swayed slightly as the information began to sink in. All the while emotions raged within him, fluctuating between regret and elation.

Flicking his tongue out and flicking it in the air, Germania hummed as he turned his head to look at Alfred. "After the flight, it is the Dragon who is being courted that will take it from there. They will show they are interested by hunting for their courter and then giving them a gift. They won't request to fly in the end, they will demand a fight. You must show your dedication to them by trying to best them in a fight. Even if you fail, if they admire your tenacity and drive, they will accept you as their mate. To accept the fight is the most important thing, for it shows you see your intended mate as a strong warrior and not a meek thing that must be cared for."

Alfred held up a hand, clearing his throat. "Wait, wait. Are you telling me this for the reason I think you are?"

"Essentially, Yuvon Krein, you've skipped all the way past step three in courting my son."

A breath of air left Alfred, the blond slumping on Germania's back as he pressed a hand to his head. "Oh dear… So… That's why he seemed embarrassed."

Germania hummed, watching Alfred slide off his back and onto the floor. The human instantly began pacing the moment his feet touched solid ground. Germania observed the flustered human for a while longer before he thumped his tail on the ground, getting Alfred's attention.

"Are you upset with your actions? Do you not have the intention to court Sot Od?"

"Don't get me wrong, I like Gilbert," Alfred ran a hand through his hair, floundering slightly. "I just… Don't know if it's that kind of like! Isn't courting a huge step? That's basically asking him to marry me, which is crazy! We haven't nearly known each other long enough for that to be ok! Plus what about everything leading up to that? There should be like… Dating or something!

"I literally just gave him something that says 'I think you're hot and want to get with you', but to the extreme! I'm not ready for marriage! And we literally have a war on our doorstep! We don't have time for something like this!" Alfred wailed, throwing his hands up in the air.

Germania watched the frustrated display, head cocked to the side. "So from what I gather, you are only against the idea because it is too soon? And because the war looming over us is restricting you from having peace of mind?"

Alfred snorted, "Isn't everyone a little tense? I mean, it is a war we're talking about."

Humming, the Wyvern flexed his limbs before settling down into a hunched position. His tail curled around him and Alfred, drawing the former Knight closer.

"But that doesn't mean you don't have the right to seek happiness. Things have been rushed, yes, but that is alright. Take your time, Yuvon Krein. Think about if you really want to continue with this or not. No one is pressuring you." He paused, his scaly mouth turning into a frown. "Though I will admit I am rather disappointed another Dragon is not courting my son, I understand that if the faiths decided a different path for him than what I expected, then that is the way it must be. If anything, I am glad it was you who ended up trying to court him."

Alfred stared up at the beast, not knowing if he should be offended or not. "Um… Thanks? I guess?" He said, deciding to settle on it being a compliment of sorts.

Germania nodded his head, nudging Alfred so he would climb back up. "Think about it, Yuvon Krein. Do not take this topic lightly but do not also overthink it so much that you miss the opportunities. Romulus can help you with any more information you need."

"Really? Why would he know about this stuff?"

The Dragon laughed at this, the sound of a purr coming from him surprising Alfred. "Because that fool also courted a Dragon."

**\--**

Alfred had every intention of talking to Romulus when he and Germania returned. When he had confronted the Knight about his courting of a Dragon, Romulus was more than happy to gush about it.

"But this is seriously different. You're married to a large, scaly Dragon!"

"So? Doesn't mean I can't love him." Romulus had thrown back, grinning all the while.

Alfred had attempted to get a grasp on how to go about courting Gilbert by using Romulus' advice, but some of it Alfred ignored. It was even more of a surprise when he asked who exactly Romulus had courted. When he had proudly stated Germania, Alfred decided that that was enough information for today and excused himself.

After a few hours of training, trying to get lost in thought, Alfred took a break in order to eat from the freshly picked apple pile the medics had set up. It was then that screaming from the Den caused Alfred to drop his apple and everyone in the vicinity to be on edge, staring at the Den entrance.

The wailing continued and Alfred rushed to see what was going on, weaving past other curious onlookers. Just as he reached the entrance, he stopped to catch his breath and stare. Kneeling on the floor at the entrance, clutching to Gilbert and crying furiously was Feliks.

When Feliks looked up at Gilbert with wide, tear-filled eyes, Alfred was able to see that his eyes were clear and no longer looked dead. He shook his head, ignoring those thoughts in favour of finding out why the recently freed man was crying like his life ended. Alfred grimaced at that, who was he kidding? It probably had.

"Gilbert, Gilbert please." Feliks was shaking Gilbert, hiccupping. "You've got to take me to him. He needs to know I'm ok!"

"Feliks…" Gilbert frowned, "I can't. You just woke up, the Elders want to keep you here to keep an eye on you…"

He shook his head furiously, breaking down into more sobbing. "No! I can't stay here anymore! I need to go back to him!" Feliks pushed Gilbert away, standing up on wobbly legs. He hiccupped, rubbing furiously at his face and holding a hand to the nearest wall. "If you won't help me, then I'll go there myself!"

Gilbert instantly leapt to his feet, hooking his hands under Feliks' arms and yanking him away from the wall. "Don't be stupid! You can't do teleportation magic! The best you'll do is shred your body up trying to get there!"

"I have to try! Toris needs me!"

Alfred moved over to help the struggling albino, standing in front of Feliks in order to gain his attention. "Feliks? Hi, I'm Alfred. Listen, I know you really want to go back to Toris, but you can't right now. I hate to say it, but you'd be more of a burden on him right now. You've been out of it for a few years, you don't know what's going on. And we still don't know if you'll fall back under the Capital's control the moment you leave the Den."

Feliks had frozen at Alfred's words, a broken pout forming the more Alfred spoke. Sniffing, Feliks rubbed at his dripping nose with the back of his sleeve.

"… Gilbert… Told me about what happened. He told me how long I've been… Under the Capital's control. I remember everything though. Everything I've done… and Vladimir, oh god they still have him!"

He lunged forward, grabbing Alfred by the shoulders and staring at him with wide eyes. "You have to get him out of there! Before the King sends him to a battle he can't win! The King, he's growing restless. He's become suspicious of his own people, his own guards! The King has sent spies throughout the Capital!"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Gilbert asked, expression growing sombre.

"Paranoid. A month ago, I remember Vladimir and I were sent out to a remote town. There was a demon the townspeople were hiding. A demon of eyes. We were to capture it and take it back to the Capital so that the King may use it whenever he desired." Feliks whispered, biting his bottom lip.

Gilbert and Alfred shared a look, the two frowning deeply before they diverted their attention back to Feliks. "What's so special about this demon?" Alfred voiced.

Feliks gnawed on his lip, rubbing his hands together. "It has the ability to see glimpses of the future, but at a price. Every time it predicts the future, it requires payment in the form of eyes. The King ordered one of his Knights to give up their eyes so he could make sure the future said his rule was absolute. Though, you know how demons can be. They love to trick and manipulate their words, so even if they tell the truth, they'll leave out bits and pieces. Just enough to get more of what they want."

"And… What did it say?" Gilbert was almost afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

Staring up at him with grim eyes, Feliks took a deep, shuddering breath. "The fall of your empire will come from your own Capital; hidden in the walls a rebellion is brewing. Be wary of the Middle, keep the Center locked up, but if you cling too tight to your crown, then your fate is sealed."

As the weight of the words settled, Gilbert too shared in the foreboding look that passed over Alfred's face. Cursing, Gilbert started leading Feliks back into the caves. He tried to keep his pace even, but it was obvious he was straining to rush the other.

"Feliks, listen, I know you want to find Toris, but I need your help. You need to show me the ins and outs of the Capital and the castle. Where the weaknesses are and the best places to attack. I need you in this war." He said, only glancing over his shoulder once as Alfred began to follow.

Feliks dug his feet into the ground, stopping their advancement in a surprisingly firm manner. "No."

"Feliks-."

"No, you listen to me," Feliks slapped away Gilbert's hands, rounding on him and glaring with a fiery passion. "I have been mind-controlled and manipulated for years, forced to imprison creatures of all kinds so they could also be mind-controlled, forced to abandon my darling for years, and then I come to and find that one of my friends is actually an offspring of a Dragon that's planning on storming the Capital in order to overthrow the King!"

With each reason he jabbed a finger into Gilbert's chest, advancing on the taller male and forcing him to take a step back. "Gil, for old time sakes I will help you with all that you need to know about the Capital and castle, but that is it. After I give you the information, you are to get Vladimir out of there, free him from his mind-control, and then let him decide what he wants to do. As for me, I want you to take me to Toris! I'm tired of fighting in a war I wanted no part in! It took everything from me and I wasn't even aware enough to know! So no, I will not fight in this war. But I will help you just so you can try and help those the king hurt."

Gilbert's frown deepened, but he nodded, settling a hand on Feliks' shoulder in a comforting manner. "Ok, ok. You don't have to be a part of this. Just aid us in any way you can."

With a nod, Feliks let Gilbert lead him towards one of the rooms in the Den filled with maps of the Capital. Alfred lingered, watching them leave before he got an idea. Turning around, he locked down the mixed feelings swelling in his chest. Now was not the time to think about what he planned on doing. It may be taking a few steps back, but Alfred felt it was better than just starting from where he currently was.

So when Gilbert left the Den, Feliks not in tow, Alfred waved to get the albino's attention. Gilbert seemed grateful to sit down next to Alfred by the growing fire, letting out a groan as he rubbed his face.

"How'd it go? You were down there for a while." Which was an understatement. It had been a few hours since then and Alfred already managed to hunt and cook what he needed.

"Stressful. The information Feliks gave us was good and up-to-date, but there's a lot less openings then I thought. Plus with what that eye demon predicted? I'm worried we may have to push our plans up sooner than I'd like." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Alfred was going to respond, but the sound of Gilbert's stomach rumbling made him pause. Chuckling, Alfred picked up the slices of rabbit meat that had already been cooked and spiced, offering it to the albino.

"Figured you'd want something to eat. It isn't much, but you'd be surprise how many rabbits are hanging around here. You'd figure they'd live far away from a nest of Dragons."

The surprise that radiated from Gilbert was palpable and, even though Alfred was a rolling ocean of nerves inside, he didn't let that show up on his face. He instead gave Gilbert one of his bright grins, the smile widening when Gilbert gratefully took the offered plate.

"You hunted this?" He asked, a brow quirked.

Nodding, Alfred picked up his own plate, adding some spices he had sitting next to him. Closing the spice jars, he kept them off to the side while he began digging into his meal. Gilbert watched him for a moment longer before he too began eating, a small smile on his face and a light flush adorning his cheeks.

Once the meal was done, Gilbert let out a longwinded sigh and leaned against Alfred, resting his head on his shoulder. Alfred jumped slightly in surprise, but his body instantly relaxed. He hummed, hesitating before he rested his head on Gilbert's, silently hoping he wasn't going past any boundaries.

"You know…" Gilbert started, staring into the fire. "When I was younger, my father kept everyone from telling me about the prophecy."

This took Alfred aback slightly, his eyes widening in shock. "Really?" He asked, voicing his surprise.

Gilbert nodded, humming in further confirmation. "Yeah. He was afraid of the prophecy coming true. He didn't want his son to start a war and possibly die. He'd rather we stay the way we were, hiding away where his hatchling could be safe from harm."

Alfred was quiet for a while, not really sure of what to say. "Well… I kind of get it. He's a father, of course he'd want to protect his child."

"Mmm… But then Yao's clan came and not long after, Kiku. My father couldn't deny the prophecy once they appeared and he couldn't hide it from me. Yao and Kiku, their clan were happy their own would be what frees the land from the King's rule. They raised them knowing their purpose, I only learned mine 7 years ago. I've been training, planning, and working so hard for this. I'm so close, so close to fulfilling our destiny." Gilbert bit his lip, brows creasing. "But… I'm worried. I know this will make a war. It may not last long in an actual "war" sense, but it will be a war nonetheless. Many will die, I know this. I'm just afraid of who it'll be…"

Alfred's heart ached for Gilbert's broken tone, the actual worry laced in his voice. Without giving himself time to think the action over, Alfred wrapped an arm around Gilbert's shoulder and pulled him tight into a one-armed hug. Gilbert melted into the touch, turning his face to bury it in Alfred's shoulder.

"It'll be ok," Alfred whispered, rubbing Gilbert's arm in slow, gentle motions. "You'll see. We'll win this war, we'll make a difference. Even… Even if some of us die, it'll be for a good cause. You will lead us to victory. I have faith in this plan – in you."

Gilbert would deny that the stinging in his eyes had anything to do with tears, his eyes were only watering because of the smoke from the fire. Chuckling, Gilbert gave a small, watery smile and sighed softly. He sniffed, lifting one of his hands to settle it over the one Alfred had wrapped around him. He patted the hand that stilled, giving it a squeeze.

"Thank you, Alfred."

Alfred flushed lightly, his heart skipping a beat slightly. A goofy smile pulled at his face, his hand resuming its comfort rubbing when Gilbert let it go.

"Anytime, Gilbert. Anytime."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'M STILL ALIVE, PROMISE. But it's like I said, I have no enjoyment in the Hetalia fandom anymore :'D At least not as much as I used to. So finding the time to sit down and write is a chore. What I think might work better for me is to write each chapter shorter than I used to... And if inspiration dies out, then I may go months without updating. But I refuse to drop this story. I don't want to leave it incomplete, not after I've invested so much time into it. But if you all think this story lost its luster and is now extremely dull, then I might as well stop writing it. If none of us are enjoying it, then what'd be the point?

It took a week before Gilbert was able to track down where Toris lived. Surprisingly the man had not given up hope that he would see Feliks again. It had been a tearful and happy reunion, but only for the couple. For Gilbert, it was a bittersweet moment that stuck with him as he flew back to the Den. At least Feliks and Toris were together again. They would have many years together now that Feliks was no longer being controlled. Gilbert only wished he had the same chance.

During the week of searching, Alfred would drop hints that he was courting Gilbert. He would hunt for the albino and cook the meal. Every time Gilbert accepted the offered food it would earn him a beaming smile from the blond. Yet while Gilbert was enjoying the attention, it was conflicting with the thoughts already in his mind.

Gilbert had to worry about the upcoming war and the battle plan he would need to explain to the armies. He also had to worry about catching Vladimir and breaking him of his mind control. But managing to capture the other was going to be a hard feat on its own. After they caught Feliks, Vladimir had been kept inside the Capital walls. So getting him out before the war was going to be more complex than it should be.

But on top of those worries, anticipation would course through his veins with every waking moment. Partially it was because of the war and the thrill of battle, but most of it was because he couldn't wait for Alfred to make the next step. When would he ask Gilbert to fly with him? Sure they couldn't actually fly, but wouldn't Alfred improvise? As the days dragged on and Alfred still continued to only hunt for Gilbert, the albino grew more and more restless.

It was agonizing waiting for something like this. He was at the point where he wanted to demand Alfred ask him to fly already. But he couldn't do that, it'd just make him seem desperate. He was being courted, so if Alfred planned to continue on with this, he had to be the one to make the move.

Alfred, on the other hand, was struggling to find the right way to change a courting flight into something a wingless creature could do. For this, Alfred figured the best course of action would be to ask some Drakes or Wyrms how they courted since they lacked wings. The Wyrms said they used racing as a way to show their potential mates how quick and nimble they were. Drakes on the other hand replaced flying with running.

Out of the two options, Alfred figured walking would be better than running. Racing was out of the question because if he and Gilbert got too competitive, the whole point of the race would be lost. Alfred wanted it to be romantic and perfect, so a walk near the lake was the perfect choice. For the entire week Gilbert was searching for Feliks' boyfriend, Alfred spent that time mapping out a path he and Gilbert could take. And if Gilbert still didn't understand his intentions by the end of the walk, Alfred would just bluntly state he was courting Gilbert.

Yet every time Alfred tried to find the right time to ask, something always got in the way. Alfred was getting sick of all these interruptions! Even if they were unintentional, they were still pissing him off!

"Gil, can I talk to you?" Alfred asked one morning.

He thought this was his chance, that nothing would interrupt them. Yao was working in Gilbert's shop at the Capital, Germania and Ludwig were off doing their own thing, Francis was on a date with Antonio, and Romulus was training the soldiers. But Alfred was beginning to think that the world was against him.

"Sure, what's up?" Gilbert set down the sword he was sharpening.

Taking a deep breath, Alfred bit his lip and blushed. Gilbert stiffened in response, eyes widening with something akin to hope. "Um, I was wondering… If you weren't too busy, would you like to-"

He was once again stopped, though this time by the sound of an explosion. In the distance a huge plume of smoke appeared, followed by another boom. It was close enough to the Den to be worrisome, but none of the alarms sounded, so it wasn't an invasion. Still, Alfred and Gilbert wasted no time in taking their swords and sprinting to the commotion.

By the time they reached the uproar, a wide circle of varying creatures had formed around it. Still, dust hung in the air like a miasma and fireballs shot up into the air. Alfred looked up and gasped as he saw Yao appear in the sky, falling away from an oncoming fireball. Yet another was heading straight for him, however it moved right past as Yao teleported away.

"Step aside!" Gilbert roared, his voice instantly garnering a reaction from the crowd.

Their murmuring fell silent and they quickly moved out of the way, letting Alfred and Gilbert through. Once they reached the center, they could see what had caused the commotion. Yao was teleporting around a furious looking Vladimir, both of them covered in dirt and soot.

Vladimir's hands were soaked in magical fire, the beautiful flames licking at his clothes yet not burning them. Each fireball he threw was with the intent to kill, it was obvious in his eyes. Yao was expertly dodging them, yet it was obvious he was slowly getting closer and closer.

"Yao, what the fuck?!" Gilbert cried, dropping his sword and instead falling into a crouched position. He looked as if he was going to charge straight into the fight. Which probably was the accurate assumption, Gilbert wouldn't be hurt by the flames after all.

Yao chuckled, appearing near Gilbert and covering his mouth with his sleeve. "Well you would never believe my luck! Vladimir had come into the shop, needing to buy some ingredients. I went down to the cellar to retrieve them, but alas, the box was too big for me to carry. So I simply asked his help in bringing it up."

Gilbert could feel a grin forming on his face, "Smart thinking, Yao!"

"Of course it is." Came the smug response. Yao was breathing hard and, now that Alfred looked, he could see that Yao was cradling his arm. His sleeve was shredded and smoking, his left arm a blistering and was a red mess. It had gotten caught by one of the fireballs and it was a pretty bad burn from the looks of it.

Alfred winced in sympathy and placed a hand on Yao's shoulder. "Go and see Kiku, we've got this."

Yao glanced at them for a moment before nodding his head. He took a deep breath and sighed before teleporting away, most likely inside the Den. Now that Yao was gone, Vladimir's attention fell to Alfred and Gilbert. The two of them were advancing on him from either side, dividing the mage's attention in two.

Gilbert was the first to make a move, lunging towards Vladimir. A fireball was quickly thrown his way and, as it hit, Vladimir smirked slightly. Of course he thought it would do some form of damage, just the same way it harmed Yao. But when the fire and smoke cleared, Gilbert was still standing there in nearly perfect condition. The albino shook out his muscles, flashing a feral grin at Vladimir.

Paling, the mage quickly realized that his fire would have no effect on this Dragon. So he quickly changed tactics, throwing fire at Alfred instead while keeping a distance from Gilbert. Alfred dodged the fireballs, feeling the heat pass by his skin. Each attack was always a little too close, but thankfully Alfred was quick enough to dodge them.

Alfred slid close after ducking under a fireball and took a handful of dirt, flinging it into Vladimir's face. The mage recoiled with a yelp, flames dying down as he rubbed the annoying grains from his eyes. Gilbert took this chance to rush Vladimir, tackling him to the ground. Vladimir growled and tensed up, muttering an incantation under his breath. The magical fire flaring up once again, only this time it enveloped Vladimir's entire body. It seemed he was hoping that the sight of the fire would deter anyone from helping Gilbert pin Vladimir down.

Gilbert snarled in response, clamping a hand over Vladimir's mouth. With his free hand, he reached towards the mage's neck and pressed. Instantly Vladimir's body went rigid for a moment and then he went limp, the fire dying out quickly.

Gilbert stood up, slinging Vladimir over his shoulder. "The two Ensnaring mages have been captured!"

The circle of creatures all cheered, this was an extremely important thing. It meant that during the fight against the Capital, the king would be unable to ensnare any of the creatures fighting against him. This was a huge step towards their goals of eliminating the king.

A few Naga's slithered over, carrying a few bundles of rope. After Vladimir was completely tied up, gag included, Gilbert and Alfred returned to the Den. Frumo was annoyed at having to produce the mind-control cure again, but Gilbert could tell it was just for show. Still, he had to travel back to the volcano in order to get more of the needed crystal. Yet just before he left, Alfred stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Gilbert! I seriously need to ask you something!"

Gilbert stopped and turned, raising a brow curiously at how flushed Alfred was. He was beet red and sweating slightly, almost like he was running on nothing but nerves. Suddenly Gilbert's heart picked up pace and he felt his mouth going dry. Was this it? Was Alfred finally going to ask him to fly?

Clearing his throat, Alfred took a few deep breaths. ' _Come on Al, you can do this!_ ' He clenched his hands a few time, hoping it wasn't too obvious how nervous he was.

"Yes, Al?" Gilbert asked when it seemed like Alfred wouldn't continue.

Shifting from foot to foot, Alfred looked everywhere but Gilbert. "Um… I was wondering if you would like to join me for a walk when you return. I-I have something important I'd l-like to ask you, if that's alright."

Gilbert didn't know if he should feel excited or disappointed. Was this Alfred's version of a courting flight or was it just a normal walk? Showing a rare moment of cowardice, Gilbert refrained from asking and instead smiled at Alfred.

"Yeah, of course! I'll meet you at the Den entrance when I get back."

Alfred nodded quickly, "Yeah! Ok! Great! See you then!"

Chuckling, Gilbert climbed on Germania's back and waved at Alfred before they were up in the air. Alfred watched them go for a while longer before he went off to find some way to distract himself. From training to helping others with their form, Alfred was pretty busy for a couple hours.

Just as the sun was starting to set, Gilbert and Germania returned. Germania carried the large sack of gems into the Den while Gilbert stood at the entrance. Alfred, having spotted them from where he was training with a Manticore, quickly bid farewell to his training partner. He then sprinted to the Den and, by the time he reached Gilbert, he was already winded.

Alfred took a moment to regain his breathing, smoothing his hair back away from his face. "Welcome back! Did you get enough?"

Gilbert nodded, watching Alfred wipe his forehead and sheath his sword. "Yeah, we got a lot. Had to swim further down than usual, but father helped me find a bed of Kornerupine and harvest it."

"Sounds fun!" Alfred cleared his throat before he offered his arm for Gilbert. "Um… So shall we go now?"

Raising a brow, Gilbert chuckled as he took Alfred's arm. "Lead the way. I assume you have a path in mind?"

"I do."

Alfred grinned widely as he led Gilbert towards the lake. When they reached it, the sun had already set and the moon was slowly pulling herself into the sky. Alfred took a moment to pause and stare up at the moon for a moment.

Gilbert followed his gaze, taking a moment to think of his next words before speaking. "You know, us Dragons have a story for the moon and sun."

"Oh?" Alfred turned his attention to Gilbert, "What's it about?"

Before he told the story, Gilbert tugged Alfred with him to the edge of the lake. There they sat on a log facing the water, the two sitting with a bit of a gap between them. Gilbert bit his lip before he took the plunge and scooted closer to Alfred. When Alfred didn't recoil from Gilbert, the albino took it as a good sign and began his story.

"So the Moon and Sun were rulers of everyone and everything. The Sun was a golden Dragon that breathed the hottest fire and, whenever she flew, sparks of light would come from her wings. The Moon was a beautiful white Wyrm with frost that always covered her body. She could breathe boiling water at her foes and nothing could swim as skilfully and quick as she could. Out of the two, the Sun was more straightforward and passionate than the Moon, who was subtle and gentle in her actions. Even if they butted heads from their differing opinions, they still brought out the best in each other. The Sun's fury could be quelled by the Moon, while the Sun could bring out such passion from her counterpart.

"They were inseparable, mates that ruled together and loved their subjects more than anything. But despite that love, that didn't mean they ignored wrongdoings. One day it came to their attention that a group of witches and warlocks were sacrificing humans in the name of magic. This angered the two rulers greatly."

"What'd they do?" Alfred asked, eyes wide as he tried to imagine what the two great beasts looked like.

Gilbert leaned into Alfred, heartbeat picking up when he wrapped his arm around the albino. Ignoring the burning in his cheeks, Gilbert licked his lips and continued the story. "The Moon was the first to find them, as the sacrifices were conducted when her son, Night, darkened the lands. He had told his mothers the location of the coven and the two rulers wasted no time in capturing and giving their verdict. The Moon was different from the Sun when it came to giving out judgement. Out of the two, the Sun was far kinder.

"The Moon decreed without hesitation ' _Let them face the same fate they dared bestow on the humans_ '. And one by one she had them put to death. However the last of the coven, the leader, did not die without a fight. Just as they were being separated from those in their coven, they cast a curse on the two rulers and their children. The Moon and Sun weren't even thinking before they intercepted the curse. It was to protect their children, Night and Day. But even as they took the brunt of the curse, Night and Day were still affected, just as their parents. The Moon and Night were separated from the Sun and Day. Never could the Moon and Sun reside in the same sky as they used to be able to. Now, they could only watch each other from afar, unable to join together. Night and Day were able to avoid the curse, but only for an hour or two each day. However, there are some days where the curse grows weak enough that the Moon and Sun can share the skies for a long time. On those days, the Sun and Moon are happy with their children, together and whole."

When Gilbert made no sign to speak again, Alfred took that as the end of the story. He nodded slowly, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Wow…" He mumbled softly, "That's so sad… But sweet. I mean, it makes the moments they're together all the more better. And then even when they part, they can anticipate the moment they're together again."

Gilbert chuckled, resting his head on Alfred's shoulder. "Of course you'd find an optimistic way to look at it."

Alfred blushed and pouted, "That's not a bad thing! Optimism is a great thing to have!"

"I won't deny that," Gilbert snorted.

The two fell into a comfortable silence once again, Gilbert absentmindedly trailing his fingers up and down Alfred's arm. Despite the peacefulness that settled between them, Alfred couldn't help but feel antsy. Did Gilbert realize Alfred was courting him? Obviously he must since he's cuddling with Alfred. But… It was better to be safe than sorry.

Clearing his throat, Alfred gathered all the courage he had. "Hey, Gilbert. Um, just to clarify, you do know I'm courting you, right?"

Gilbert snorted at the blunt way Alfred put it. Shifting so he was sitting up properly, Gilbert grinned at Alfred. "Yeah, I know."

Alfred sighed in relief, leaning forward till his forehead pressed against Gilbert's. "That's a relief. I was afraid I'd messed up somewhere."

"You kind of did, but that's ok. You had no clue what giving me the geode meant." Gilbert chuckled, closing his eyes. "But I am glad you gave it to me. The geode is very sweet, a perfect snack for whenever I'm stressed."

The blonde's grin grew impossibly wider at that information. "Well I'm glad you're enjoying it. If I ever find another one, I'll be sure to give it to you."

"Is that a promise?" Gilbert asked, opening his eyes.

Red clashed with blue and Gilbert felt as if the air had been stolen from his lungs. Both of them where flushed, Gilbert's blush more prominent on his pale skin. Yet despite that, the two of them were smiling warmly and not at all trying to hide their embarrassment.

Alfred absentmindedly licked his lips, not missing the way Gilbert's gaze flickered to his mouth before looking back up. "Yeah, it's a promise…"

Gilbert grinned, "Good."

And without wasting a beat, Gilbert leaned forward and pressed his lips to Alfred's. It was hesitant at first, but as Alfred pressed into the kiss, Gilbert gained confidence. Their lips slid against each other, slightly messy from inexperience, but that was ok. It was a sweet moment the two of them shared together.

When they pulled apart, they were still blushing and smiling like fools. Alfred giggled and nuzzled Gilbert, impossibly happy. Gilbert returned the nuzzling, placing a kiss to Alfred's cheek. The two shared another look before they were going back in for another kiss. They sat there kissing for a good while, returning to the Den hand-in-hand. Before they curled up in their beds for sleep, Alfred and Gilbert shared another kiss, this one just as sweet as the last.


End file.
